Even the Borderlands Have People - 6
Baek-su-mun, located in the far south of Yunnan, would take considerable time to reach Gansu. In the meantime, Nanjou had to handle Mak's meals until they arrived.
We headed to the abandoned mine first, before Mak reached Nanjou. If we were going to lose iron and copper anyway, we at least had to prevent an uproar in the city itself. Plus, if Mak came to Nanjou, everything would be stripped bare, but if we went to the mine, we could choose what to offer as feed.
"At least we can give it lower-quality items or mostly ornaments. Losing those won't hurt too much."
As the prefect said, we prioritized things we could afford to lose right away, and the chaos engulfing Nanjou gradually subsided. People's daily lives were no longer disrupted.
"You've worked hard, Prefect."
I offered words of comfort and encouragement to the prefect, whose complexion had brightened somewhat. The garrison commander and inspector had suffered too, but Mak's rampage had constantly shaken the mental state of the prefect, the administrative head. How agonizing must it have been for him, as the responsible official, to watch two essential minerals vanish from human society? We were now controlling the rate of depletion, and peak realm masters who had unleashed their full lightness skills to fetch bamboo from Sichuan had doused the immediate fires.
"On the contrary, I'm grateful to you, Left Vice Inspector. Without you, we wouldn't have understood Mak's plight. We might have captured it while it was providing for its family, tearing it from them, or harmed the sole breadwinner."
"No, Prefect. Even when Mak damaged the cannons, you showed mercy considering its hunger. With such a compassionate heart, you would have cared for the Maks even without me."
"Haha, thank you for saying so."
My kind words further lightened the prefect's face. His spirits seemed sufficiently recovered, so now I could console the garrison commander and inspector. Even knowing Mak's antics were for its family, the bitterness of their past hardships lingered.
"By the way, Left Vice Inspector, how's that little one doing?"
"...Ah, of course, just fine."
His sudden mention of "the child" puzzled me at first, but I soon realized he meant Samshik.
"That's a relief. I've never cared much for beasts in my life, but seeing that one made me understand why people keep them. The way it opens its mouth wide and its eyes sparkle when fed—adorable."
I chuckled at the prefect fondly stroking his beard. I'd entrusted Samshik to him briefly out of worry it might get eaten by Mak, and apparently, it had won him over in that short time.
"Baek-su-mun, arriving soon in Nanjou, is a sect that handles all sorts of beasts, from common to rare. They might have some that catch your eye, Prefect."
"Is that so? How intriguing."
Mentioning Baek-su-mun slyly lifted the corners of the prefect's mouth. And so, a high-ranking official embarked on the path to honorary Baek-su-mun discipleship.
The distance from Sama Bu, where Baek-su-mun was based, to Mak-filled Nanjou was like traversing from the southern tip to the northern end of Daesong.
"We meet the Left Vice Inspector!"
"""We meet the Left Vice Inspector!"""
Yet Baek-su-mun had crossed the nation successfully mere days after sending their messenger pigeon. Astonishing speed. Their eyes must have rolled back at the news of five Maks starving, driving them mad with haste. Their passion for beasts was immense.
"Come in. You must be exhausted from the long journey."
The faster Baek-su-mun arrived, the better for Nanjou. I patted Ji Wi-pyeong's shoulder in welcome. Truth be told, it went beyond welcome—we desperately needed them. Nanjou, already plundered spectacularly by the parent Mak, was hurtling toward depleted iron and copper reserves. A few more days, and we might have seriously offered daily necessities, farm tools, or even weapons as feed.
Worst case averted.
I sighed inwardly in relief and scanned the five Baek-su-mun disciples behind Ji Wi-pyeong. A mix of elderly, middle-aged, and young—likely victors of fierce competition after hearing about the Maks. Travel-worn but eyes gleaming, it was clear.
"Rest first. Yunnan to Gansu is no short trip—"
"We're fine, my lord! How can we rest when Mak hungers more than we do?!"
Before I finished, a middle-aged disciple right behind Ji Wi-pyeong spoke up. Rude to interrupt an official, perhaps, but I wasn't offended. Baek-su-mun were beast-obsessed, and harmless about it.
"Exactly! Our hardship was fleeting, but their hunger and fear lasted long!"
"For nature-loving Mak to enter a city—what desperation drove that choice!"
"We scraped bamboo from Sichuan on the way!"
Once the middle-aged one started, the others voiced their eagerness to meet Mak immediately. Ji Wi-pyeong's expression soured predictably—his disciples had skipped the Left Vice Inspector's lines; what leader could stay serene?
"Your concern for Nanjou's peace and Mak's welfare is commendable. As the one who summoned you, I should host you lavishly first, but if you insist so earnestly, what choice do I have?"
Of course, I knew Baek-su-mun was full of such folk when I invited them. No scolding; I accepted their plea. Hospitality could follow feeding Mak.
"Wi-cheo."
"Yes, my lord."
"They seem burdened—help carry it."
Jo Wi-cheo took some of the bamboo from the disciples. Bamboo seeds had dried up locally, so this was worrying. Good thing Sichuan overflowed with it.
"Quite a haul. Wise to call on you."
"Don't worry about Mak's meals, my lord. Other disciples are bringing wagons and carts loaded with bamboo."
I nodded at Ji Wi-pyeong's explanation. They'd brought only what lightness skills allowed; the bulk followed separately.
'Wagons and carts.'
I nearly laughed. If this was the carried amount, how much more via wagons? These maniacs might have enough to sustain them until Nanjou's ecosystem recovered.
At the abandoned mine, the disciples abandoned bipedal walking instantly.
"Come here, dears. Tasty bamboo."
- Buoooo!
- Buooo!
- Buoo~
"Haha, they like it!"
They dropped to all fours to match the cubs' eye level without hesitation. I admired their quadrupedal stance—beast lovers indeed, no attachment to humanity's bipedal symbol.
"Unexpected."
I muttered unwittingly. I'd expected Baek-su-mun to go feral, biting and licking Mak on sight, but they were feeding it normally. Quadrupedal wasn't quite normal, but compared to their usual, it was.
"They're cubs, so we're being considerate. Overdo affection, and they get scared; scare the cubs, and parents rage."
Ji Wi-pyeong's explanation made sense. Ah, consideration for the Maks.
Can't you show some for people?
Watching former walkers crawl on all fours—what a sight.
"Anyway, a family with only three cubs. Never imagined seeing this."
"Are Mak cubs rare?"
I steered the topic from Baek-su-mun antics lest I regret summoning them.
"Seeing Mak is rare; paired Maks rarer still. Spirit beasts live long, breeding far after pairing—often just one per lifetime."
This made the Mak family remarkable. Hard to spot even one, yet we'd met a couple with three cubs—patriotic parents.
"A big family."
"Yes. The drought hit them harder for it. Alone or even as a pair, they'd endure, but with three cubs, they resorted to the city."
Ji Wi-pyeong approached the parents cautiously. No wariness or resistance—they'd grown used to Nanjou folk visiting with food, and Baek-su-mun offered heaps to the cubs. Wise spirit beasts wouldn't distrust friendlies.
"That's why I'm worried. Gansu is harsh enough; another drought, and this family suffers again."
Stroking their heads, the Maks nuzzled his arms with soft cries.
"Then take them to Yunnan."
"...Pardon?"
Ji Wi-pyeong turned in shock; feeding disciples stared too. Why the surprise? Did they think I called them just to feed them?
"B-but weren't you caring for them, my lord?"
"Hardly. One, maybe, but five? Hard to feed while touring the realm."
Raising Maks meant dragging all five—a family couldn't be split. But five rampaging through cities would strip iron and copper everywhere, a walking disaster for officials.
Hence, Baek-su-mun. Win their hearts, relocate to bamboo-rich Yunnan. Happiness for all.
"Take your time persuading them. They'll prefer lush Yunnan over barren Gansu."
"Y-yes, my lord! We'll do our utmost!"
I nodded satisfied at Ji Wi-pyeong's booming reply. If their beast-loving leader was confident, success was assured. Mak problem solved.
Be happy in Yunnan. No more hunger.