Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Aftermath
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Tae-jin woke up from his second blackout.
Unlike the first time, the moment he came to from this second faint, he immediately recalled what had happened. His jaw had creaked in protest, telegraphing exactly what went down before he passed out.
He couldn't even remember the last time he'd gotten such swift comeuppance for talking nonsense. Ever since getting trapped beyond the Gate, people had treated him with kid gloves.
And once again, the first thing he saw upon opening his eyes were Garam's gleaming white fangs.
At thirty years old, Kim Tae-jin had reached the age where he wanted to surround himself with prettier, more beautiful sights—but the world wasn't that kind.
"Why are you always right there every time I wake up?"
"Trust me, I'd love to be wandering around instead."
Garam waggled her adorably shrunken legs with a playful grin. Tae-jin nearly burst out laughing at her cute little signature move.
He held back the laugh and changed the subject.
"That little kid packs a mean punch."
"She didn't grow up pampered at home, you know. She helped out with village chores, so she's got some grit."
He pictured the kid's face from that brief glimpse. Looked like an upper elementary or middle schooler, maybe. Hard to say her actual age.
"She's still just a child, though."
"This isn't Korea. Here, kids pitch in with work if they can. Especially in a military family."
"Military family?"
"Mom's gone, Dad's off earning money. A mixed-blood kid like her was probably the only one in the village. She must've learned to read the room quick. Kids that age pick up on that stuff shockingly fast."
It sounded pitiful at first listen, but from the perspective of someone on the receiving end of that punch, Tae-jin couldn't help feeling a bit skewed about it.
Just then, Mr. Pavilion approached.
"Awake again already?"
"Yeah. Waking up once wasn't enough—he had to do it twice."
Mr. Pavilion apologized right away.
"My girl's grown up lonely, so she's a bit rough around the edges. Sorry about that."
"No, no... I started it. Her glare looked a little too intense, so I messed around a bit, but she hit back harder than expected. Why was she staring like that?"
"Oh, that? Before you woke up, I told the villagers it was thanks to you and old man Richer that everyone survived. Looks like Renata overheard and got all excited."
So her name was Renata.
Tae-jin felt a twinge of regret. Bad timing for a joke, as expected. Renata had probably approached him starry-eyed, like he was some hero.
If he'd just acted normal, she would've idolized him.
"Ah, I see..."
"Anyway, sorry about my daughter throwing that punch. I didn't think she'd do it."
"No, it was my fault."
There was one upside to blacking out again: the medicine had more time to kick in, dulling the pain that had wrapped around his whole body.
As they wrapped up the conversation, a mournful song drifted in from the village center. A low chant sung by many voices in unison.
Those voices flowed on gently, on the verge of breaking but never quite snapping.
"What's that song?"
"A dirge. Normally more people would sing it, but with so few left alive now, it's quieter."
"It's not all that somber for a dirge, though."
"Good if it sounds that way to you. We've had our revenge, after all—that must be coloring their voices."
Pavilion and Tae-jin walked together to the village center. All the surviving Rabbit Beastkin had gathered, lighting a fire and singing softly.
In the midst of the Rabbit Beastkin stood a towering pyre of Werewolf corpses and firewood. The best fuel for a send-off, perhaps.
Protein and fat burned, sending up the thick, greasy stench unique to carnivores.
The dozen or so Rabbit Beastkin didn't turn away—they simply watched the Werewolf bodies burn.
No one was without bloodstains on their shoulders; they'd all hauled the heavy Werewolf corpses together.
Gazing at the scene, Pavilion spoke up.
"Countless Rabbit Beastkin have died to Werewolves. When the full moon rises, they sniff us out from miles away and come running."
"Makes sense. It was weird last night—the Werewolves charged straight toward this village."
As if someone had drawn a ruler across a map, the Werewolves had bolted in a beeline for the Rabbit Beastkin village. Like they knew their prime prey was gathered here.
"Exactly. That's why Rabbit Beastkin only settle where there are no Werewolves. Even if other game is around, Werewolves prioritize us. Best to stay as far away as possible."
What a cursed existence. A race hunted blindly by such mighty predators.
Only then did Tae-jin piece together yesterday's events. The carriage had been attacked because of Mr. Pavilion.
Without him, the Werewolves would've ignored the carriage and overrun the village, leaving no survivors among the Rabbit Beastkin. In a way, the attack on the carriage had been a stroke of luck.
"Sorry about that. Because of me, you, Garam, and old man Richer all got hurt."
"It's fine. No one died, and I learned a lot. Plus, survivors here made it—including Renata. Silver lining in the disaster."
"Yeah. If Renata had died, I can't even imagine. Thanks."
"By the way, you said there weren't normally Werewolves around here, right?"
"Right. No Werewolves in central, western, or southern Volterio Kingdom. No idea how they ended up swarming this far."
Pavilion hadn't realized it, but Tae-jin had a hunch.
The border disputes between Volterio Kingdom and Kaiso Kingdom. And Kaiso Kingdom pushing toward the northern snowfields.
Those Werewolves must've lived near the northern snowfields or northeastern Volterio. Their charge came from the north, so it fit.
Whether from northeastern Volterio or the northern snowfields, the common thread was Kaiso Kingdom. As the kingdom expanded its influence, Werewolf habitats got threatened, forcing the pack to relocate—right into a full moon. And they beelined for the nearest Rabbit Beastkin village.
And what sparked Kaiso Kingdom's moves? Korea.
Before diplomatic ties and tech transfers from Korea, Kaiso had been hunkered down, focused on not getting invaded, let alone expanding.
Yet here was Pavilion—a Rabbit Beastkin from Korea—apologizing to Tae-jin, the guy who'd come from there, for getting him hurt.
But tracing it all back, shouldn't Tae-jin be the one apologizing to Pavilion?
Of course, Tae-jin didn't represent Korea, and he hadn't chosen to venture onto the continent. Still, he couldn't shake the gnawing guilt.
Without Korea's involvement, the Werewolves would've stayed peacefully in their homeland. No raid on the Rabbit Beastkin village, no border clashes.
No telling how Korea's meddling would split fortune and misfortune across the continent. But facing the misfortune firsthand, Tae-jin could only stay silent.
The next morning, the Rabbit Beastkin gathered with their packs, ready to abandon the village. Time for the outsiders—Tae-jin's group—to move on too.
The Rabbit Beastkin seemed focused on future possibilities over past tragedy. Their faces were surprisingly bright for fresh survivors, though sorrow surely lingered beneath.
"Thank you. We survived because of you. I hope we meet again in a new, thriving village someday."
The Rabbit Beastkin pulled out their smallest, most precious items from their bags and offered them to Tae-jin's group—thoughtful gifts for those continuing their journey. Tiny gems, dried rations, silver coins.
But Tae-jin led the charge in politely refusing every one, then turned to leave.
Old man Richer huffed along, looking utterly baffled.
"What's gotten into him, turning down free stuff?"
"We're not hurting for funds right now. No need to take gifts from folks facing a tough road ahead."
"Funds? You think we're flush? We gotta buy two horses. Coachman and Pavilion went off to get 'em."
"Oh."
His math was off.
Pavilion and the coachman didn't return with the two horses until lunchtime. The price was way steeper than imagined, wiping out most of Viscount Helio's reward money. Pavilion had even blown the single gold coin he'd gotten.
They still had a decent stash of silver, but prices rose the closer they got to the Empire—who knew when it'd run dry.
Still, they had a last resort: the Polaroid camera. Find the right buyer, and it'd fetch a mind-blowing sum.
The thought of the camera sparked an idea in Tae-jin's mind.
'Does it even make sense not to snap a photo in a situation like this?'
When you've pulled off a life-or-death feat, taking a commemorative shot is just common sense.
With four boxes of twenty-shot film, a few pics wouldn't hurt.
Before boarding the carriage, Tae-jin jumped up and announced,
"Everyone, let's take a group photo before we go."
"A photo? Out of nowhere?"
Garam and old man Richer got it right away, but Pavilion, Renata, and the coachman looked clueless about what a photo even was.
"What's that?"
"Hold on. I'll show you something amazing—no one here's seen anything like it."
Old man Richer gathered everyone and gave a quick rundown. Pavilion and Renata were skeptical; the coachman seemed to sense something.
"That photo thing—you need me to take it, right?"
The coachman clearly wanted in on a photo too, but as a half-in, half-out member of the group, he hadn't brought it up.
"Nah, don't worry. We'll all be in it."
First, Tae-jin went around with the camera, snapping individual shots for everyone. Garam just gave a casual "Neat" look, but Pavilion, Renata, and the coachman were floored. An unexpected windfall.
Finally, Tae-jin took a group shot. Using precise magic on the shutter, he captured the whole crew.
When it came time to sell the camera, the group photo would serve as a perfect sample. Tae-jin wrapped it carefully in soft cloth and tucked it into his bag.