Episode 40
Episode 40
For three days, I explored Winter Castle and tried the foods of the Northern Region.
Since it was essentially a place with perpetual winter-like weather, the diet consisted mostly of meat rather than vegetables. Among them, raw food was particularly famous.
From my experience having tried yukhoe and muntigi, I was pleased, but Aron seemed unfamiliar with raw meat and hesitated to eat it, just watching instead.
The alcohol was generally high-proof too.
I heard that since you need to avoid freezing in cold regions and want your body to warm up when drinking, such alcohol naturally developed.
'Is this what it feels like to go to Russia?'
Everyone was tall, large-built, loved alcohol, and was strong.
Given that they often beat magical beasts to death bare-handed, it seemed like the motif was Russia.
Then the atmosphere should be Russian all the way through.
'So why does the market feel Korean?'
I let out a deep sigh at the familiar market scene stretching out before me.
I definitely felt like I was visiting Russia until the market opened, but now it feels like I'm at a market near home.
How on earth did they construct this world view?
Marveling at the director's world-building, I walked slowly.
"Last chance this winter! Buy cheap and delicious baguettes!"
"Jerky made from meat brought from the Great Plains! Much softer and tastier than other meats!"
"Buy fish you can't get in the Northern Region!"
I lightly brushed off the familiar merchants' sales pitches and slowly browsed the goods.
Aron, who had been quietly following beside me, pointed with his finger to a shop with a lot of alcohol.
"Can't we buy from there? They seem to have a lot of varieties of alcohol."
"Hmm... They have a lot, but they don't have the alcohol I'm looking for. The alcohol for the Dwarfs needs to be a bit different. And it would be good if it had a label too."
"What kind of alcohol is that?"
"Makgeolli made in the eastern regions, or something like sake. Dwarfs like strong alcohol, but they also enjoy new kinds."
"So you're looking for that... makgeolli and sake?"
I nodded lightly.
"Most people think Dwarfs only like strong alcohol, you see. So if you give them new alcohol, they'll be really pleased."
In the game, you also gain favor with alcohol like makgeolli, sake, and fruit wines.
The Dwarfs, who always drank only strong alcohol, taste the new flavored alcohol, rejoice, and welcome the protagonist's party as honored guests.
In the game, makgeolli was the most convenient, but I don't see it.
After going around the entire market once, I didn't see any other types of alcohol.
"Ah, there it is."
I finally found it just before the market was about to end.
In a corner of the market, an uncle wearing shabby clothes was sitting and selling alcohols from other regions.
"Hello. Are you selling all of this alcohol?"
At my voice, the shop owner looked at me, seeming flustered.
He stared blankly for a moment, then, perhaps grasping the situation, nodded vigorously.
"Of course! It's all for sale! These are famous alcohols from the eastern and western regions. They're low-proof, but they're by no means cheap or tasteless; they're just meant to be enjoyed that way..."
The shop owner continued explaining without pause.
Judging by his reaction, it was clear he had tried selling new alcohol in the North and failed.
Northerners don't even consider it alcohol if it's not strong, to begin with.
In a place where the weakest alcohol easily exceeds 40 proof, alcohol that's only around 10 proof wouldn't sell. Maybe if he'd called it a beverage, it would be different.
I cut off the shop owner, who was still explaining non-stop.
"It's okay. I know what I'm buying. So, could you give me all the alcohol here?"
The shop owner had brought quite a lot of alcohol.
He must have been confident when he bought it, but since he couldn't sell a single bottle, his expression seemed rotten.
As if my guess was correct, the shop owner's face brightened.
"Of course! I'll give you the best price, so don't worry! May I ask how you plan to take it all?"
Just the alcohol in front of us was over ten boxes, each as big as I am tall. It's impossible for just two people to carry it by hand.
I glanced lightly at Aron standing beside me.
"Don't you have any magic or something? A suitable tool."
"Asking so suddenly... Ah! There is something suitable."
With those words, Aron stretched his hand into the air.
Before I could even react, the magic was complete, and simultaneously, all the boxes storing the alcohol in the shop vanished.
The shop owner seemed startled but soon handed over the money.
"I put in the amount written on the price tags. Please check it."
After checking the money, the shop owner nodded vigorously.
"Thank you so much! If I couldn't sell it, I would have had to throw it all away, so I'm glad I could sell it like this. As expected, a famous person has a heart as great as their reputation!"
"You recognized me?"
"I think most merchants would. After all, your mercenary group is famous, and so is your skill."
It wasn't entirely wrong, so I nodded.
"Then, if you've heard any stories about the Flame of Harmony, could you tell me?"
He briefly made a face that wondered why I was asking instead of going myself, but soon nodded as if understanding.
He understood that there must be a reason for asking indirectly like this.
"Recently, the remaining Three Great Mercenary Groups gathered and formed an alliance. The name is undecided... I heard the size is similar to the previous Three Great Mercenary Groups."
"The name is Undecided? That's an unusual name."
At my muttering, the merchant cleared his throat.
Aron, who was watching from the side, quickly whispered in my ear.
"Undecided. It means it hasn't been decided yet."
"I know. I was just joking around a bit."
Fanning my instantly heated face with my hand, I continued the questions.
"Other than the alliance, are there any other movements or news?"
"No, nothing else in particular. The alliance is still in the coordination stage, so there's no special activity yet."
It's probably inevitable that it's difficult when mercenary groups with different tendencies try to mix.
I nodded and continued questioning.
"Then, have you heard any news about the Hero?"
"Ah, the Hero returned safely. I heard the entire Hero Party returned safely and headed for the Demon King's castle with the Holy Sword."
It's a relief that they're heading to the Demon King's castle, I suppose.
Honestly, I don't know how skilled they are, so I'm not sure if I should be relieved or worried.
"Well, it's a relief for now. I'll be going then."
"Yes! Please be careful on your way!"
Leaving the shop owner who bid us a booming farewell behind, we left that place.
*
I went around the market one more time, but I didn't see any merchant groups interacting with Dwarfs.
In the end, I only bought the necessary items and returned to the inn.
I put down the food I was carrying in both hands onto the floor.
I hopped lightly onto the bed and sat down, then looked at Aron.
"Since it's come to this, I guess we just have to walk to the canyon. It's quite far... Is there no other way?"
"Yeah. Should we buy a carriage and horse or something?"
"Didn't we almost spend everything at the market just now? Do we have enough money left to buy a carriage and horse?"
"If we don't have money, we can just appropriate one and pay them back later."
When I looked at him as if to say what nonsense is that, Aron shrugged his shoulders.
"It used to happen often. When there was no other way, you'd just commandeer it, use it, and pay back later. They seemed happy if you filled it with money."
"Won't you get caught if you do that?"
"Who's going to catch us?"
With that one line from Aron, I immediately understood.
Against a party that even an army probably couldn't capture, public authority becomes meaningless.
Besides, there's no CCTV or anything, so if you decide to flee, there's no way to catch you.
But since he's the Hero, he probably paid it back properly.
After all, he's the First Hero, without a single controversy.
'Is this that era of romance... or something like that.'
Listening to stories from older mercenaries, it was quite different from now.
Back then, mercenary groups were closer to illegal military organizations.
To put it more realistically, they were contract thugs.
I shook my head side to side.
"That's not possible. The atmosphere isn't like that these days. Reputation is important too, so that really won't do."
"Really? That's a bit disappointing."
"Let's just walk, or go look again tomorrow."
"Alright. Or we'll figure something out. When you're traveling, things always seem to work out somehow."
"I hope it turns out that way."
*
The center of Winter Castle.
A massive castle covered in snow.
A woman who had been quietly sitting in her office checking documents let out a deep sigh.
"This... There's nothing I like."
With a serious expression, she threw the paper she was reading onto the desk and tossed her hair back.
Her snow-white hair flew back over her shoulders and fluttered.
"How can there be no satisfactory man? All the so-called Swordmasters are just old men who nag."
The elderly attendant listening beside her answered her.
"How about looking for a partner suitable for your age now? It's true that your appearance is youthful, Duke-nim, but it might be difficult because of your age."
"No! I only suffered when I was young, how can you say I should be with an old man even in my old age!"
"Sigh..."
The attendant sympathized to some extent.
When she was young, she invested only in training and managing her territory to become the hope of the North. But she didn't expect to remain unmarried until this age.
The rumors that recently spread seemed to play a big part too.
Somehow, a rumor spread that she was over 50 years old.
As the attendant was pondering, the Winter Duke suddenly shot up from her seat, her eyes sparkling.
"I just felt it! It's definitely a skilled person on the level of a Swordmaster equal to me!"
"Huh? Duke-nim, what is that..."
"This is my last chance to marry! I'll be back, so guard the castle!"
Saying so, the Duke opened the window and vanished in an instant.