When Are We Eating the Barbecue?
Perdikion, who had been writing his apology letter right beside him, grumbled too.
The red dragon hatchling boy looked down at the letter he had written with his sour eyes.
“If I just keep writing this, my side still aches.”
Rune watched that Perdikion and thought.
“Even though it’s written with such care.”
It was a pretty good handwriting, even better than expected.
Perdikion obediently wrote the apology letter together with Rune, despite his dissatisfied tone.
He must have been full of remorse at the same time as scolding from Christina.
Perdikion checked the work he had done so far, as if wanting to change the mood.
“Still, it’s the twentieth page already. What about you, Rune?”
“Same here. Just ten more pages and it’ll be done.”
Flip
Rune answered and replaced the paper with a new sheet.
Perdikion nodded and put the feather pen back on the paper he had been using.
Rune turned his head and looked at Heungmi.
“Anyway, seeing you here means the World Tree investigation is all finished.”
Christina had assembled an investigation team with Belianus, the chancellor of the elf kingdom, to investigate traces of the demons.
Along the way, Heungmi and Dullahan, who could fight demons, had joined them.
They had been making quite a contribution to removing the demons from the World Tree.
“There’s still a lot left for Heungmi and Lahan to do. But……”
?
Heungmi, tilting her black fox ears curiously, laughed and clasped her small hands together, twisting her body slightly.
“You said you’d give me something to cheer me up, right, Christina-nim? I asked her.”
Her sparkling pink rose-colored eyes looked at Rune.
“Heungmi worked hard cleaning the demons, so the shrine and the village are getting a little prettier! So before I go back, I want to eat a barbecue with everyone to get energized!”
Heungmi said this with a pure smile, tightly clenching her small fist.
“If everyone eats meat together, everyone will get energized, right? Uncle Belianus said if he does it, he’ll bring his son and daughter too!”
“I don’t see anyone looking unenergized.”
Rune’s remark made Heungmi nod her head slightly.
“Yes, yes. Rand-nim especially looks like he’s having a hard time.”
She smiled innocently, but the subtle current was also visible in the child’s eyes.
Heungmi continued speaking with a thoughtful expression.
“Christina-nim has a scary face sometimes or worries about Rune-nim… Uncle Belianus also looks that way. They’ve been walking around with serious eyes.”
Heungmi stretched both index fingers across her eyes, imitating the serious gaze.
Her face, mouth tightly shut, looked just like a pressed bun.
Khh.
Perdikion secretly laughed at himself and, as soon as he saw the gazes of Rune and Heungmi shift, he quickly turned the topic.
“……Khem. Of course everyone must be in a gloomy mood.”
“I guess so.”
On the day Rune and Perdikion told them the truth they learned from the conversation with the demon at the World Tree.
Rand was shocked by a fact he had never imagined.
“So…… the souls of my wife and children were taken by the demon too.”
After saying that, Rand said nothing more.
Belianus was the same.
“We need time to think about the mistakes made by the elf king. I feel the same way.”
After leaving those words, Christina, Rand, and Belianus silently tended to their own tasks.
It was as if they had separate places, and they did not intrude on each other’s territory.
They showed mature behavior without bringing up anything controversial or controversial things.
It could be seen as skillful maneuvering.
Only a full day passed after that.
It was too short a time to completely sort out their thoughts.
All together for a meal.
Rune finished the sentence he was writing and fell into thought for a moment.
It was supposed to be a meal with congratulations or well-wishing, but tomorrow was the day of the elf king’s funeral.
It was impossible.
But to be sure, Rune asked Heungmi to confirm.
“Then when are we eating that barbecue?”
Heungmi blinked her eyes and replied with a surprised “Eh?”
“Ah! I forgot to ask that. What should I do?”
“……”
Heungmi panicked and stamped her feet back and forth.
Rune sensed that his thought was correct.
They won’t do it in the elf region. Maybe that’s natural.
He understood it was said with the pure concern and strength of a child.
But barbecue at a time when solemn mourning is required.
This was not something to suggest.
Heungmi must have had a hard time thinking about it.
Just in case it would be misunderstood as rude behavior, Rune felt the need to explain about someone’s death.
At that moment, Perdikion, who was working hard on his apology letter in front, spoke casually.
“My dwarves in my lair do that after the funeral. They talk about the deceased while sharing alcohol and food with their relatives. I know the elf funeral customs are different though.”
Suddenly, Rune stopped the moving feather pen upon hearing that.
Wait a minute, meal?
Something bothered him.
It was not a celebratory atmosphere.
But Heungmi’s idea had a clever fit in another part.
“Big brother.”
Perdikion immediately reacted to Rune’s voice.
“Why?”
Rune had already known he was looking at the paper with his eyes but raising his ears.
He shrugged once and said.
“I’m going to ask if we can roast that barbecue. Want to come with me?”
“You always have some scheme going on.”
Perdikion now knew Rune well enough to lift his head and narrow his eyes.
“Tell me what you’re thinking. I’ll listen and answer.”
Rune told him what he had thought, and Perdikion nodded his head seriously, resting his right hand on his chin.
“That might work. I’ll suggest it together.”
“Ah, then Heungmi will lead the way!”
Heungmi shook her two tails and lightly hopped first, and the two who put the feather pen back in its original place stood up from their seats.
***
Approaching the World Tree, Christina and Belianus were talking with serious faces.
When Rune and the group approached, they felt the presence and looked back. Christina approached first with a worried expression.
“Children, this place is dangerous. What happened?”
The three children looked at each other’s faces without anyone speaking first.
Heungmi opened her mouth first.
“Heungmi said to Rune-nim and Perdikion-nim that she wanted to eat barbecue together to get energized! But I realized I forgot to decide when, so I came to talk.”
“Oh.”
Christina answered Heungmi, who raised her hand boldly with her tail standing straight up, and gave a faint smile.
Her gaze was directed at Rune and Perdikion.
“You all came because you want a barbecue party too?”
The one who answered Christina was Rune.
“Yes. Since I almost finished writing the apology letter, I wanted to prepare together.”
Rune and Perdikion’s eyes were serious.
Christina turned her head to Belianus, seeing that the atmosphere was not one that could be passed over casually.
“The talk might get long, so please continue your work first.”
“Understood. Please take your time.”
After hearing the polite reply, Christina sat with Belianus at the table in the makeshift chair.
“You wanted barbecue so much. It’s not the right time now. Tomorrow will be a very sad day for the elves, and it’s not appropriate behavior for us who came from outside to enjoy ourselves.”
One would think it sounded a little sad or disappointed.
Of course, from her perspective, it must have looked like Heungmi’s barbecue story had made them come excitedly without thinking.
Perdikion, who had been quietly listening to Christina’s words, added quietly.
“To be precise, we didn’t intend to celebrate. It might even help the elves who suffered damage from the demons.”
Christina slowly shook her head at that remark.
“You are facing demons who have killed several adult dragons.”
Her voice mixed with a sigh comforted the children.
“It’s a monster that has killed countless creatures living on this land, including the elves. Offering meat to the elves who suffered damage from it would bring about a sense of rejection.”
Christina continued with worried words, saying that just facing them would be shocking.
Rune opened his mouth after listening to her words to the end.
“Yes. I thought about that story carefully too. I also thought the usual words would be right.”
Her calm gaze, following his every word, looked at Christina’s blue eyes.
“But this time, many elves couldn’t eat properly because of the World Tree’s pollution and suffered in their bodies.”
After taking a breath.
With a short time to collect her thoughts, Rune continued speaking.
“If we deny food due to sorrow in this situation, it would be truly dangerous.”
Unlike the dwarves, the elf funeral customs did not include a meal.
They usually mourned their dead relatives, often fasting or praying all day near the burial trees.
Normally, fasting for a few days would not hinder life.
But if, due to grief, they refused to eat while their minds and bodies were already damaged by the plague.
Those who treat the body with Lucky Moon Piece or Baekya’s tears mixed dishes would have to fast for days… that would be dangerous.
In the worst case, the elves whose demonization had progressed a lot might have their demonization resume again by combining sorrow and negative emotions.
Christina’s pupils shook as she listened to Rune’s words.
She also looked like she had understood something.
At that moment, Rune did not miss the chance and continued speaking.
“Baekya and I won’t be staying here long either. I want to help as much as possible before leaving. I happen to like cooking too.”
Perdikion also joined in.
“Hmm, I have helped with my sister’s cooking before. It will be good enough to entrust.”
Perdikion’s words were not true, but since he could not tell the truth here, Rune quietly looked at Christina.
Christina, who had been silent for a moment, opened her mouth.
“This…… I need to talk to Belianus.”
Her blue gaze moved to Rune, Heungmi, and Perdikion respectively.
“Thank you for telling me. Please wait a moment.”
She stood up from her seat and ran to Belianus, shaking her golden hair.
It’s done.
Rune clenched his fist and smiled slightly, holding back the urge to cheer.
“Heungmi did well, right?”
Heungmi seemed to recall that the response when she spoke was vague.
Rune praised her without reservation, filled with admiration.
“Of course. You did it very well, Heungmi.”
It was thanks to Heungmi that they were given one more chance to look back before it could become a big problem.
Heungmi smiled with happy eyes after receiving the praise.
“Lucky.”
When Rune stroked her black hair with his hand, Heungmi closed her eyes and then opened them with a happy face.
He would have to tell Heungmi the detailed circumstances later, but the fact that her heart in thinking of someone had found a way was excellent.