Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Hospitality of the Hunter
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“I'm a wandering knight. While drifting without a fixed destination, I heard news of my younger brother and am on my way to meet him.”
“Ah! So you're a knight.”
Ralph nodded in surprise. From the sword at his waist to the spear leaning against the tree trunk, they all looked like fine weapons now that he saw them as a knight's gear.
“More importantly, didn't the lord mention earlier that he was looking for a deer head ornament?”
Ralph felt a flicker of hope fade as So Gun-ak showed interest.
'Well, 20 gold isn't a small sum.'
To knights who received steady pay and lived comfortably compared to lowly hunters like himself, 20 gold was still a fortune. Especially for a wandering knight scraping by through training and travel, money would be tight.
“That's right. I'm looking for a deer head ornament to use as a gift. I guarantee you, this one's sure to please the lord.”
As Ralph spoke, eyeing the deer head wrapped in cloth, So Gun-ak nodded.
“What's the name of that lord?”
“Viscount Jamby.”
It seemed Jamie had descended the mountain in a different direction from where he'd climbed.
“Do you know of Baron Willis?”
Ralph nodded as if it were obvious.
“Isn't that the neighboring territory to Viscount Jamby?”
“Will you show me the way there? In exchange, I'll give you that deer head.”
Ralph's eyes widened. He'd given it up out of guilt, but now the man was offering it freely? For So Gun-ak, there was no reason to covet 20 gold.
He'd already pocketed a handful of jewels and gold coins from Ice Fortress for travel expenses.
“Deal! You got it! Name's Ralph.”
“So Gun-ak.”
As So Gun-ak clasped Ralph's outstretched hand, Ralph tilted his head.
“So Gun-ak? That's an unusual name.”
Tilting his head repeatedly, Ralph asked,
“Are you perhaps from the Eastern Continent? I hear they name people like that over there...”
So Gun-ak nodded.
Just as the Central Plains had its Western Regions, this world seemed to have something akin to the Central Plains. He suddenly wondered what kind of people lived in that place.
“Yes. Have you been there?”
Ralph waved his hand dismissively.
“Nah, with a wife and kids, how could I go all that way? Just stories from wandering bards.”
“I see.”
Having revealed himself as from the Eastern Continent, it would look odd to ask Ralph about conditions there. Meanwhile, Ralph's eyes sparkled expectantly, hoping So Gun-ak might share tales of the East.
'Not like I know anything to tell.'
So Gun-ak picked up the well-browned meat.
“Looks like the meat's done. Let's have a drink.”
“You first.”
Ralph quickly pulled out a bottle of liquor and offered it. Though the young knight looked a good ten years younger, Ralph graciously yielded. For him, today was a stroke of real luck.
“Kugh, that's good.”
The sharp, tangy taste differed from the liquors of the Central Plains, but it wasn't bad.
'No worries about getting lost now.'
Though he had Jamie's memories, So Gun-ak hadn't fully absorbed them yet. Rashly taking them all in could drive him mad.
For now, solidifying his own sense of self was safer. He'd sealed Jamie's memories aside like buried scrolls, meditating daily to peek into them bit by bit, as if reading a book.
Memories weren't like pulling a specific volume from a shelf; they didn't let you cherry-pick. So So Gun-ak was reviewing Jamie's life chronologically from childhood.
So far, he'd fully grasped only up to age thirteen, plus fragmented recent memories of visiting Ice Fortress.
None included the climb up the mountain.
So Gun-ak had no desire to absorb everything before seeking out Baron Willis's family.
He simply meant to honor the dead man who'd lent him this body by completing his final mission.
Hand it over quickly, then find a way to rescue his subordinates, right? Not yet grasping Jamie's route up Crokshu Mountain, following Ralph in exchange for the deer head seemed a solid choice.
Thanks to the deer head, So Gun-ak earned Ralph's goodwill and an invitation to his home.
It had taken three days to descend alone, barely halfway, but with Ralph guiding, they made it in a single overnight camp.
Ralph's house was in Chirato Village, visible right after coming down the mountain. He lived with his mother, wife, and ten-year-old son Jimmy in a happy family.
Returning after a fortnight, Ralph was welcomed warmly for his successful hunt. They had a small field for farming, but after taxes and feeding the family, nothing remained.
The household's fortunes rose and fell with Ralph's hunts. Fortunately, he was skilled enough that they lived better than most village homes.
Ralph gave So Gun-ak a room right away. His family treated the esteemed guest with utmost hospitality.
Finally shedding the winter gear he hadn't even thought to remove in two months, and with a hot bath ahead, So Gun-ak looked relieved, like he could breathe again.
“These are my clothes—might not fit perfectly, but change into them.”
They'd grown close during the descent.
“Thanks.”
“Haha, what're you saying?”
Ralph laughed and waved it off. He liked So Gun-ak. The man seemed to possess extraordinary skill, and he was a knight—a wandering one without a lord yet, but still a knight.
His son Jimmy dreamed of becoming one.
There were two paths to knighthood.
Either amass incredible skill to earn a title directly from a lord, or serve as a knight's squire, train formally, progress through trainee and apprentice stages, and be dubbed properly.
Neither was feasible for a hunter like Ralph.
So he'd set his sights on a martial arts school.
Stand out there, and local knights often scouted promising boys as squires.
It was the dream of every aspiring child. Money was the issue.
Ralph had hunted obsessively for days for that 20-gold deer head—to send Jimmy to school.
Entrance fee alone was 10 gold, yearly tuition 5 more. The bounty would cover two years at least.
Even if no knighthood, territorial armies favored school graduates. Their pay was decent.
Meeting a wandering knight like So Gun-ak was perfect; hosting him alone offered Jimmy a valuable lesson.
“I'll head down first. Wash up, change, and come. I'll introduce you properly to the family.”
Entering the bath, So Gun-ak dunked his head in the tub, then surfaced with a chuckle.
Human bonds were amusing. Had Ralph tried to snatch the deer head, So Gun-ak would've cut his throat. But asked politely, and since he didn't need it anyway, he gave it freely.
Ralph had confessed out of conscience, his simple honesty endearing. That's why So Gun-ak traveled with him here.
The outcome pleased him. His first encounter in this world was with a good man, and he hadn't killed him—both strokes of luck.
Taxidermy would take time, so Ralph had asked to stay about ten days, seeking understanding.
Even if stuck in the village that long, So Gun-ak had no rush.
Regaining his lost martial arts outranked completing Jamie's mission. Steady inner cultivation mattered, but peak physical condition was key.
A healthy body made building inner force efficient. Staying at Ralph's, eating well, and conditioning himself was ideal.
“Not bad at all.”
So Gun-ak scrubbed off the grime and finished bathing. He donned Ralph's clothes.
A bit loose, but comfortable enough.
As he came down cleaned up, Ralph let out an exclamation.
“Whoa, you look like a new man. Come on, over here.”
Ralph led him to the table.
With 20 gold incoming, the spread was lavish. So Gun-ak savored unfamiliar dishes from beyond the Central Plains, chatting with Ralph's family.
“Tanner says it'll take at least eight days, even rushing.”
So Gun-ak nodded at Ralph's words. No need to hurry.
“Fine by me. I can rest and sightsee. Need supplies anyway.”
Chirato Village housed about a thousand souls, bustling with commerce for its size.
Hunter byproducts like hides and meat spawned shops, drawing merchants, inns, and nearby folk, swelling the market organically.
“Ah, take my son Jimmy along. He'll guide you well.”
Jimmy grinned shyly.
After the meal, So Gun-ak retired to his room for inner cultivation practice.
No skipping even a day.
'My current level's barely first-rate expert.'
Inner energy suggested second-rate, but past experience didn't vanish. He was confident handling any first-rate foe. And that was the truth.
But the priority was shattering his sealed core swiftly. Unleashing peak Blazing Sun Palm needed at least a cycle's worth of inner power.
Failing that, he'd seek scholarly aid—but with his current skill, navigating this unfamiliar world felt risky.
Local warriors, knights, were middling, but not dismissible.
So Gun-ak spent five days holed up in Ralph's house, unmoving.
Sitting cross-legged eyes closed all day, occasionally swinging his spear in the yard—that was it.
Only Ralph's ten-year-old son Jimmy watched intently.
When So Gun-ak practiced spear arts in the yard, Jimmy ditched friends to watch, eyes full of admiration.
The spear roared with each swing. So Gun-ak's speed was blinding at times. Knowing such a knight was his dad's friend made Jimmy puff up with pride.
After days of watching, Jimmy grabbed a stick and mimicked him. But his stick only whooshed feebly. Glancing back, So Gun-ak stared.
“Want to learn?”
Jimmy beamed and nodded.
“Yes!”
So Gun-ak chuckled.
“Copy me.”
So Gun-ak gripped his spear diagonally forward. Jimmy peeked repeatedly, imitating.
“Grip it like this.”
So Gun-ak adjusted Jimmy's hands on the stick.
“Spear arts boil down to thrusting and swinging. Everything else is variations.”
With that, he stepped forward left foot and thrust powerfully.
Paaang!
It sounded like ripping a drum filled with air. Jimmy thrust his stick.
“Hap!”
He wobbled.
The stick's tip wavered off-target. A child's grip lacked strength.
“You need to build grip strength first. Copy this.”
So Gun-ak held the spear's very end, extending horizontally.
“Eh?”
Jimmy tried, hands trembling, then dropped it. Too heavy at the tip.
“Normal for your age. Don't sweat it. Train steadily, and it'll come.”
“Okay.”
So Gun-ak took Jimmy's deflated hand, resetting the spear upright.
“Until you can hold the tip steady, practice thrusting only.”
Standing behind, So Gun-ak overlaid his hands.
“Step forward with left foot.”
Jimmy did.
“Thrust with all your might.”
His hands shot forward from the side, spear naturally rotating half-turn via arm mechanics. Slow, no whoosh, but guided, the tip hit true.
“Hard to aim at empty air, so hang rocks or wood scraps on trees and practice precise strikes.”
“Yes!”
Jimmy replied excitedly. So Gun-ak had taught mere basics, stuff martial schools covered. But to Jimmy, it felt like secret knight techniques.
“Alright, now show me the village as payment for the lesson?”
With a duty to repay, Jimmy answered eagerly.