Chapter 170
Chapter 170
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: Amnesia (3)
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It had been four days since Gunter joined Yuri's group.
Scrape—thud!
Gunter straightened his back after scooping out the last handful of dirt.
Crack—.
A grotesque sound echoed from his stiff back, worn from long hours of labor.
But now accustomed to it, Gunter simply patted it a few times to loosen the knotted muscles.
Then he surveyed the results of his work.
"Hmm……."
Behind Gunter stretched dozens of pits in a straight line along the path he had dug.
All of them had been created in just a few hours.
Considering that on the first day it had taken him over thirty minutes to dig a single one, this was nothing short of miraculous progress.
And no one knew that better than Gunter himself.
Naturally, a pleased smile spread across his face as he gazed at the pits he had dug.
‘Nothing makes my heart race like visible growth.’
As that thought crossed his mind, Gunter's expression suddenly hardened, a shadow of melancholy settling in.
"…To think I'm happy over something like this."
If his growth had been mental or in his cultivation realm, he wouldn't feel this self-loathing.
But rejoicing over digging pits faster?
It made him look pathetic.
Realizing this, Gunter let out a deep sigh.
‘How… did it come to this?’
He felt a nagging sense that he was missing something.
That was when it hit.
Throb—.
"Urgh……."
A sudden intense headache made Gunter groan lowly, his eyebrows twitching.
‘It's happening again.’
This wasn't the first time a dull ache had struck.
Whenever that feeling of missing something arose, the headache inevitably followed to torment him.
But it never lasted long.
It delivered sharp, brief pain, then vanished as if it had never been there.
‘What… is this headache?’
What did it mean, this pain that came and went like it was trying to tell him something?
As Gunter pondered this.
"Time to eat! Everyone assemble!"
A booming voice echoed across the clearing.
Just like that, the pensive look on Gunter's face vanished like the wind.
Before he knew it, he was striding off into the distance.
Like a well-trained dog scampering to its owner at mealtime.
* * *
Gunter wasn't the only one scampering at the call for dinner.
There were already No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3, even more conditioned than him.
While No. 4 Gunter had moved at the sound of the voice, Nos. 1 through 3 had already caught the scent when Yuri emerged from the rift with the food and taken their seats at the table.
Theresia, Arin, and Poppi sat eagerly around the large rectangular wooden table.
Gunter planted his butt in what had become his assigned spot.
Then Arin gripped a spoon and chopsticks in each hand, drooling as she tapped the table.
"Hurry, hurry!"
Prompted by Arin, Yuri quickly distributed plates and bowls.
Finally, the food began to cover the table.
Receiving his portion, Gunter let out a low groan.
"Urgh… this… is incredible."
The biggest surprise since arriving here had been these dishes.
Even with spring bringing abundance to the forest and easier foraging, that was just "food" in the basic sense.
Most riders consumed that "food" in simplistic ways or simply grilled it.
In fact, most found even that too much trouble and just bought dry rations.
But look at the food in front of him.
‘This is unmistakably… cooking.’
Not mere sustenance.
Dishes crafted through various processes for the joy of fine dining, infused with care.
The kind you wouldn't even glimpse in the Yoram.
Gunter carefully lifted his spoon to the reddish porridge.
Slurp—.
It slid lightly into his mouth, filling it with flavor.
And the intense umami stimulating his tongue.
"Urgh……."
The aftertaste was so overwhelming that Gunter couldn't help but groan.
‘To think I'd taste cooking like this in the Yoram.’
At first, he thought it was just because it was the Yoram—his tongue, starved of flavor after dry rations, exaggerating the taste.
But no.
This was objectively delicious.
Even in society, flavors like this were rare.
If he'd tasted this outside, he would've hired the cook for his family without hesitation.
‘Excellent.’
Even if it was just one meal a day, he'd gladly endure the labor for this.
No, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was working for this food.
And this wasn't just Gunter's story.
"Haaaah… I must've always loved spring."
Theresia's face was ecstatic, flushed with delight.
"Me too, spring is so tasty… I mean, great."
Arin's eyes half-lidded as she slurped her spoon.
"Hungry."
Poppi had already finished and was licking her bowl.
Even they, who had eaten Yuri's cooking countless times, were losing their minds.
The thought in all their heads was the same.
‘Spring is the best!’
They'd had tasty winter dishes too.
But tasting Yuri's food made with fresh, varied spring ingredients made the coming winter terrifying.
For Nos. 1 through 3, Yuri's cooking with new ingredients had become an irreplaceable joy in Yoram life.
Such bliss that they didn't even notice they were being tamed.
Clink clink—.
For a while, only the sound of utensils clashing filled the air, no conversation.
Then, as the others' bowls (except Poppi's) emptied halfway.
Gunter spoke up.
"Yuri Holland, I have a question."
"Yeah? What?"
"What exactly are you building here?"
At that question, the busy spoons halted abruptly.
Theresia, Arin, and Poppi looked up in surprise.
Speaking for the group, Theresia asked Yuri.
"You… haven't told him anything?"
"Nope."
At Yuri's nonchalant reply, all eyes turned to Gunter.
"So… you've just been doing whatever without knowing anything until now?"
"…He's got a sneaky slave streak, huh."
"Hungry."
Amid the barrage of incredulous reactions, Gunter looked slightly embarrassed.
Then he turned back to Yuri.
"So, what are you building here?"
"A house."
"Isn't that… awfully big for a house?"
Even just the land he'd dug alone could fit a decent-sized house with room to spare.
At Gunter's question, Yuri corrected himself.
"A big house."
"…I see."
Gunter felt something rise in his chest at Yuri's way of speaking.
At the same time, the throbbing headache returned.
But only for a moment.
"Mm……."
One warm spoonful of porridge into his mouth, and all irritation and pain melted away.
* * *
Clink clink—.
As Yuri tidied the wooden utensils, he looked around.
First to catch his eye was the construction site, now with a solid foundation.
‘Faster than I thought.’
The foundation of the old fortress had been shattered by Se-kyung.
Since he was rebuilding anyway, Yuri decided to make it bigger and wider than before.
Even if it took a bit longer.
Yet the construction time seemed shorter than the previous fortress foundation work.
All thanks to Nos. 1 through 4 scattered about, diligently doing as told.
Yuri smiled warmly at their now highly skilled movements.
‘As expected of Yoram's handpicked talents—they adapt amazingly to manual labor.’
Their awkward motions at first now evoked veterans of a dozen years on construction sites.
Thanks to them, progress was speeding along steadily.
‘Especially adding that one slave made a big difference.’
When the new slave walked in on his own, Yuri thought it was a windfall.
His gaze landed on Gunter digging a new pit.
Yuri was impressed by Gunter's diligent faithfulness to his tasks.
"That guy's got some real grit, getting beaten like that and still coming back, not even avoiding me."
Not content with showing up voluntarily, he was working so hard at the orders.
Yuri couldn't help but admire Gunter's temperament, so different from his own.
* * *
Gunter's second week joined.
"Ha……."
"Wow……."
"Hungry……."
"Huh……."
From No. 1 to No. 4.
They stood in a line, gazing in awe at the sight before them.
"It actually worked."
"Yeah… it really did."
"Hungry……."
Gunter shared the sentiment in Nos. 1 through 3's exclamations.
‘It… actually worked.’
Filling Gunter's view was a massive wooden fence.
No, could this even be called a fence anymore?
Its scale and solidity rivaled a castle wall.
And the most astonishing part was that he had helped create it.
‘I just dug the pits as Yuri Holland ordered… and this is the result.’
To think his pits had transformed into this.
Truly astounding.
As the four slaves marveled.
"What are you gaping at? We haven't even properly started yet."
The quartet flinched at the indifferent voice from behind.
"This isn't even the start? After all this?"
"Then… what have we been doing until now?"
"Hungry!"
As the senior slaves protested, Gunter grimaced at the returning headache.
‘Again……?’
Lately, the headaches plagued him more frequently.
The repeating mystery pain.
As Gunter pressed his temples.
"Alright, work ended early, so how about a spar? Who's up for my shiny blade? First come, first served—one spot!"
A brief silence fell at those words.
Then, amid the quiet, a joyful voice rang out.
"Oh? Gunter? Yeah, it's gotta be you! You gritty bastard!"
"…Huh?"
Gunter tilted his head, hand still on his temple, at Yuri's sudden welcome.
"Gunter wins! You're my sparring partner today!"
"……?"
What was this nonsense?
Looking around in confusion, Gunter's eyes widened.
"…Huh?"
Theresia, Arin, and Poppi, who had been lined up with him moments ago, had stepped back a pace.
As Gunter looked at them, they retreated another step.
Leaving Gunter sticking out alone upfront.
As if he'd volunteered for Yuri's offer.
Bewildered only briefly.
"Fine, I accept the spar."
Sparring with the strong was nourishment for growth.
Gunter had no intention of passing it up.
Meanwhile, watching Yuri and Gunter prepare, Nos. 1 through 3 whispered.
"…He won't die, right?"
"Probably not."
"Hungry……."
Oblivious to his senior slaves' worries, Gunter raised his sword at Yuri and shouted.
"I'm ready—come at me!"
Yuri blinked at the spirited cry.
Then grinned widely and yelled back.
"Whoa, such a hot-blooded boy full of grit! Gonna overcome past trauma with sheer will, huh?"
Saying that, Yuri charged slowly at Gunter.
After three or four steps.
"Here I go!"
Flash!
Yuri's form vanished.
He reappeared right in front of Gunter.
By the time Gunter registered it, Yuri's sword was already incoming.
Enveloped in golden energy.
‘Huh……?’
The moment he saw the golden shine approaching.
‘This… where have I……?’
Gunter felt a powerful sense of déjà vu.
In his slowed thoughts.
Watching Yuri's golden sword close in, he noticed one oddity.
‘Come to think of it… why did I wake up in the infirmary?’
That question began piecing together his fragmented memories one by one.
Before the donoh.
How he ended up in it.
The lost memories revived, slotting back into place.
And Yuri's current form—grinning maniacally, launching a murderous sword strike.
Overlaid onto the mad figure who had pummeled him with fists in the past.
Explaining why he'd opened his eyes in the infirmary.
What had happened that day.
Regaining that crucial memory, Gunter.
Whoosh—.
As Yuri's golden magic sword clashed slowly into view against his own.
Gunter's lips moved.
"Youuuu baastaaard……?!"
Boom—!
But Gunter's words didn't finish.
He rocketed straight back amid a massive explosion.
Yuri, wielding his shiny blade—his magic sword—for the first time in a while.
"Nice, power control on point!"
Having practiced adjusting the magic sword's intensity, he looked satisfied with the results.
Then, noticing something odd belatedly, he tilted his head.
"…Did that guy just curse?"
Nah, no way. Our good boy wouldn't swear.
Must've bitten his tongue.
Yuri concluded thus, stretching contentedly with a pleased face.
Meanwhile, Nos. 1 through 3 whispered watching No. 4 buried in the dust cloud.
"…Did he die?"
"Probably."
"Hungry……."
* * *
Gunter sat dazed atop the high wooden watchtower.
Facing the setting sun, his appearance was wretched.
Disheveled hair.
Dirt-covered clothes and face.
Bloodstains clear around his mouth.
Despite his state, Gunter didn't even think to wash up, staring blankly from the shock.
‘I… had amnesia.’
He'd heard strong shocks could cause memory loss sometimes, but him?
And the lost memory was one he absolutely shouldn't have forgotten.
‘…I walked into this madman's den of my own accord.’
How could he forget those manic eyes that had battered him?
‘Of all things… of all things!’
With that memory, he would've thought twice at least 34 times before coming.
And only now did Gunter realize what the headaches tormenting him had been.
Instinctual rejection—a warning signal.
Sent by his forgotten memories… to run away fast.
"…Should I run now?"
As Gunter wrestled inwardly.
A booming voice rose from below the watchtower.
"I'm here, you damn brat! Let's start round three! Woo hahaha!"