An Outing to Seolju (2)
So it looks like the annexation of Siberia is going to happen without much of a fight, anyway.
Still, it's my fault it's happening in the first place. Something this important should've been mentioned the moment I woke up. I'll have to give them a proper scolding when I get back.
"Isn't it hard, waiting like this?"
"Our people have been waiting since my grandmother's grandmother's grandmother's time. If not for her, we'd still be wandering the snowfields starving to this day. When I think of that grace, I could wait as long as it takes."
Huh? What on earth happened in Seolju? That's the devotion of a true believer.
"Hmm? Is food scarce here?"
"I've heard it used to be. The land is frozen rock-solid all year round, so farming is nearly impossible. The potatoes that come out of Seolju are what keep everyone alive."
Siberia is barren, sure, so the population is small — but if potatoes can feed everyone outright, that's impressive. Look, the lady's eyes are practically brimming with tears of gratitude.
"That's remarkable..."
"Oh my? You still need to eat! Hoho. Look at me rambling on."
"I was recommended the grilled venison outside. I'll take a full table, please."
"Of course~ I'll make it nice and tasty for you."
It really is fascinating that people live even in a land this barren. And yet everyone's face is full of hope. That's the sign of a good place to live, isn't it?
Seems like everyone here is living happily.
"Here you are — grilled venison. You're from Daehan, so you've had plenty of potatoes, I'm sure?"
"Yes. Thank you~"
Mmm, that spicy whiff of pepper! Meat and pepper are a match made in heaven. If even here, practically the edge of the earth, they have it, then it must grow everywhere across the country.
I wonder if people saw us growing pepper and went through the trouble of taking cuttings to cultivate it themselves?
「Shick — shick — shick —」
I sliced into the meat, and blood came streaming out — this was practically raw! If they were going to serve it like this, wouldn't beef tartare be the honest choice?
"Ufufu. It's nearly raw, isn't it?"
Shouldn't you be a little embarrassed calling that grilled?!
"It is. Er..."
"Venison has very little fat, so if you cook it too long it turns terribly tough. We usually eat it raw, but since you're a traveler from afar, we cooked it for you."
"Ah, I see!"
Ah, so low fat means it toughens up when overcooked? Learn something new every day. Raw would've been fine too — I'll have to try it raw tomorrow.
Whoa. This was barely seared. Isn't this super-rare? The blood's practically pouring out.
"Haam."
「Chomp chomp」
Hmm. How do I put this... this tastes like dirt, doesn't it? Or maybe wood? Like a fifty-fifty blend of both?
"Puhuhu. Not a flavor you're used to, is it?"
"Er... mm... no."
The texture's tender enough, but it's not exactly delicious.
"We've been eating it so long we don't mind, but first-timers always make the same face."
So I wasn't the only one who found it strange. And this is supposed to be the staple food? I'll have to send up plenty of tasty things, then.
"Well, food is food — might as well eat it and enjoy it!"
"Tomorrow we'll make it as chicken-style braised stew. They say that suits travelers' palates better."
Huh? Braised chicken stew? Going by the name, something like jjimdak or a stew, I suppose?
"Yes, I'll have to try that tomorrow. Oh, and when do you think the stagecoach heading up will get here?"
"Hard to say? But I'd guess within two or three days."
Once the coach arrives, I can finally leave my room. Normally the coaches rest a day or two at each stop before setting off again anyway.
"I'll stay a generous week, then."
"Wonderful. Enjoy your stay."
Apparently a week-long guest is good news, because the lady's face just lit right up. Business must be nice.
"The pleasure's mine."
"You'll want the heated ondol room, won't you?"
"No, give me the second floor, please."
"Are you sure?"
She looks quite shocked. The second floor is hard to heat with ondol, so it's a fireplace room. Which means it's pretty cold up there.
In a frigid region like this, everyone takes the ondol rooms, so I usually go for the quiet second floor.
"I can handle the cold just fine. I sleep well even without lighting the stove."
"Those Daehan folk certainly are sturdy..."
Why are you eyeing me so suspiciously? Do I look that frail?
"I'm fine~ I just like the quiet, that's all."
If a snorer ended up in the next room, I might get so annoyed I'd smash the wall to pieces~
"But you're such a slender young lady..."
"Don't worry about me. Haha."
I more or less wrested the key out of the skeptical lady's hands and headed up. Locks had been invented, and things had quietly changed quite a bit, hadn't they.
They'd said this was a hunting region, and sure enough — several wolf pelts were laid across the bed. With the heads still attached, no less. That's a bit much...
Still, the fur looked nice and fluffy. Curled up under the cotton quilt I'd brought along, it should be plenty warm.
「Woooosh, clatter-clatter」
Sounds like the wind is picking up. The temperature is one thing, but wind makes cold truly brutal. Speaking of which, I wish I could see out the window. It feels so stuffy in here.
"Huh? Glass? You're only thinking of that now?"
Wasn't glass once made with lye? I should give them a rough explanation and let them experiment. The population's grown, so with all that trial and error, someone's bound to stumble onto it sooner or later.
But this will take centuries at the very least, so I need to get them started right away. It's not like I know the detailed processing techniques or trade secrets myself.
Another long list of things to do when I get home. Work just never seems to shrink...
"Mmmm..."
This blasted stagecoach either turned around halfway or has no intention of showing up at all. It's already been four days. Even on foot, I'd have reached the next inn ages ago.
Maybe I should just walk?
"Miss, do people ever travel on foot?"
"Some do, but wolf packs make it far too dangerous. It's a two-day walk, after all."
Huh? So it's not bears but wolves? I figured anything living in cold like this would just be hibernating the winter away, and that there wouldn't be much out here. That was unexpected.
It'll be fine, right? I'm a friend of nature, after all.
"The coach being this late makes me think something's happened. I'll go take a look."
"Even seasoned hunters find it dangerous — and you're going, miss?"
"I don't wander around alone without good reason. Don't you worry."
「Shiiing」
With a bone-chilling ring, I drew the long sword at my hip and showed it to her. This was something lying around in my room — probably a custom-made piece. All the good things end up with me, don't they?
"You know how to use a weapon like that, miss?"
"I've yet to lose to an animal."
Or to a person, for that matter.
"Still, it's far too dangerous... there won't be any hunters passing through..."
Staying here, I'd learned that hunters sometimes moonlight as guides. In situations like this, it's the hunters who go — usually in groups of two or three, never alone.
"I've even hunted a bear before. Don't worry about me."
"Goodness. You're quite the remarkable young lady. If you truly must go, please be careful. Especially of the wolves."
Her eyes have gone perfectly round. Truth be told, I've never actually seen a bear — though there are probably plenty somewhere.
"Yes~ Thank you for everything."
Stepping outside, I strapped the sword back on and pulled out a quiver and a bow. In case anyone passed by, I had to at least look the part, didn't I?
「Woooosh」
Walking through the biting wind — I'd expected Siberia to be all raging blizzards and swirling whiteout, but...
It's just cold here, plain and simple. Not nearly as much snow falls as I'd imagined. So much for the romance of brushing snow off your hat as you duck into an inn.
"Well, that's funny."
When I brushed my eyebrows, snow dust came away on my fingers. My breath must be sticking to them and frosting over.
The sun is slowly setting — how far have I come? No real need to sleep, right? If I just follow the road, I can't very well lose my way.
The reason I don't fly is because I have my own sense of romance. Walking on two legs is always a joy.
"Though I could almost forget that..."
Those memories from the hospital still hurt...
「Hooo~ hoo- hooo~」
It sounded like an owl, but honestly — hearing that in a pitch-black forest where you can't see a thing is terrifying.
"Hmm-hmm~ hmm-hmm~ mmmm~"
Ah, maybe walking was a bad idea after all. It's so scary. And somehow my own singing might be even scarier?
Would telekinesis even work on a ghost? What if it doesn't? That's why it's scary!
「Tap-tap」
"Hyaaah!"
Something made a noise behind me! I definitely heard it! But now nothing? Seriously, stop doing that...
「Tap-tap tap」
"Eek!"
There it was again, behind me!
"Grrrrrr."
"Huh? Dogs?"
"Grrrrrr."
"Grrrr."
Wait, it's coming from all around? There are several of you, aren't there?
"Oh. Yellow lights glowing in every direction."
Am I done for? I'd really rather not hurt them...
"You came because you're hungry, didn't you?"
「Thud-thud, plop, plop」
Potato tribute! Do dogs even eat plants? I thought they were omnivores, come to think of it.
"Grrrrrrrrrr!"
"Here, try this. This is how you eat it."
「Crunch crunch」
I suppose I should demonstrate first? They might have never seen a potato before. I'll step back a bit — you eat, then go on your way?
「Chomp chomp」
"There you go, eating nicely. Finish up and head home, okay?"
"Grrrrrr."
Goodness, what a temper. Most ill-tempered creature I've met yet. Best to quietly turn and walk away.
Roads traveled by many people don't usually see many beasts, do they? Then again, maybe they simply haven't been able to find food anywhere else,
and the moon was slipping away behind that mountain as morning drew near.
I walked hard through the whole night — partly because I was afraid a ghost might appear if I dared to sleep.
"Oh? Lights!"
The inns must be spaced so that a stagecoach's one day of travel equals two days on foot. After walking through the night, I saw them in just one day.
I walked even harder, but it turns out lights at night are visible from farther away than you'd think. Farther than I expected — it took quite a while.
「Knock knock」
In case everyone was asleep, I knocked softly on the door. No answer, as expected. Do I have to wait until morning?
「Click」
Hmm? I only nudged it lightly... it just opens? Oh. Lucky me? I suppose I'll go in and wait.
The air is pleasantly warm — the embers in the fire pit must still be alive. I pulled some firewood from my pouch and added it~ Hmm... maybe a short nap?
「Murmur murmur」
"Huh?"
Why are all these people clustered around me?
"Oh! You're awake!"
The moment I sat up, the lady right beside me started fussing first thing in the morning. What's gotten into her?
"Good morning?"
"Miss? Did you walk here in the middle of the night?"
"Ah. Yes. The door was open, so I just let myself in. My apologies."
Hmm. Does this count as breaking and entering? It was rather rude of me.
"Did you run into the wolf pack on the way?"
"Huh? Yes, I did."
"Oh dear! So you made it past them safely, then?"
She's looking me over from head to toe — checking for wounds, I suppose? I just tossed them a few potatoes and walked right on through...
"They looked hungry, so I gave them all the food I was carrying and slipped around them."
"You're more resourceful than you look, miss! Well done. Everyone here is staying put too, until the pack moves on."
Ah. So that's why the stagecoach never came — the wolves. Hunting as a pack does make them dangerous.
Is there not enough food in the forest? Maybe they figured attacking the coaches was easier?
"So no coaches will be running for a while, then?"
"No. You should stay here too, miss — until the pack leaves or the hunters deal with them."
But wolves live in packs, so that would be difficult for them. Not that I'm in any trouble, of course. Hmm...
The mood here doesn't seem particularly grim, though.
"So there's not much cause for worry?"
"This is nothing new to us."
So they've lived through things like this now and then.
"Wolves, we can be thankful for. If it were a bear, that would be real trouble. They smash buildings to pieces and plunder the food stores."
An older gentleman nearby chimed in. Oh? So bears don't just tear people apart — they demolish buildings too, apparently.
"How frightening. Is food running short in the forest?"
"Hard to say? Fact is, folks have been farming more these days, so there are fewer hunters. Wouldn't the game have actually grown in number?"
Come to think of it, that does make sense. The animals probably have their own circumstances.
Not that I could just ask them outright — words don't carry across species. Though those wolves yesterday ate their potatoes and quietly trotted off, so...