Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: When Trust Breaks
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Rumble rumble.
Under the scorching sun, the wagon shook rhythmically as it traveled down the dried-out, bumpy road.
Ssa guided the oxen carefully to minimize the jolting of the wagon as much as possible. Ever since they'd left Rehil, he kept stealing glances at Hwan-in, who had grown unusually quiet.
'Ever since he saw that dinner show at the inn in Rehil, he's barely spoken... Hmm. Could he be suffering from homesickness?'
Ssa thought it was understandable.
He'd been dropped into a Rank 6 forest-type labyrinth due to a transfer accident. After two grueling months escaping with some women he'd luckily rescued, they'd run into a monster wave. Fleeing that, they'd escaped the village only to face a nighttime raid by a pack of magical beasts.
It was no small ordeal, so it was only natural he'd start missing home.
Of course, that was just Ssa's misconception.
The real reason Hwan-in had fallen silent was the spirit's voice he'd heard right before the night raid—the giggling sound, as if it were speaking directly to him.
He wasn't entirely sure, but deep down, Hwan-in was convinced it had been a spirit.
In hopes of hearing it again, he'd clutched the pearl-like stone and focused intently from nightfall until the sun rose high overhead, calling out to the spirit several times...
'No response.'
There had been no success.
The spirits were still around. Even now, as the wagon rolled along, he could summon one from the roadside, and it would approach and circle nearby.
But no matter how he called, it wouldn't let him hear its voice like it had the night before.
'Do I need to fill all the soul orbs with spirits for it to speak to me?'
He gazed at the 24 sparkling mid-to-low-grade soul orbs embedded in his left arm, lost in thought.
That was one hypothesis among many, but he hadn't tried it yet—discarding 24 precious mid-to-low-grade soul orbs was too much of a waste. As he pondered, Ssa cautiously called out to him.
"Hwan-in?"
"Yes."
His voice held no trace of dejection or fatigue—it was the same as always. Ssa wondered if he'd misread the situation, his own mood lightening as he asked,
"Aren't you getting hungry? It's about lunchtime. How about a proper meal? We could also sort out those smelly beast carcasses in the cargo hold."
Hwan-in glanced at Emergency Ration soaring overhead and nodded.
"I'll have Emergency Ration scout the area."
"Yes, please do."
With a sharp whistle, Hwan-in called Emergency Ration down, ordered it to survey widely, and sent it off again.
Emergency Ration's flight ceiling without updrafts seemed to top out at around 300 meters, but this time, with a favorable wind, it shrank to a mere dot in moments.
After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Emergency Ration returned. With no sign of people or beasts, it cooed and nestled between Hwan-in's legs, letting out a weary huff.
"Hahaha. Emergency Ration really loves you, Hwan-in."
Hwan-in gave a small smile at Ssa's comment as he looked at the bird.
"Looks like no beasts or people within about 10 kilometers. We can rest here."
"Got it. Dinte, go tell Ktachinan up ahead."
"Yes, sir."
Hwan-in rummaged out a few insects he'd caught in the shrubbery before their departure the previous night and fed them to Emergency Ration, which had been peering around curiously.
Kuet.
It snatched them eagerly, crunching them noisily before chirping happily in short bursts.
Though they'd announced a stop to rest, the other four wagons—excluding the ivory one guarded by Ktachinan—didn't even slow down. Instead, they picked up speed and vanished into the distance.
"Now that's privilege for you."
Ssa muttered with a sarcastic swipe under his nose as he brought the wagon to a halt.
Hwan-in, who'd never cared in the first place, didn't spare them a glance. The moment the wagon stopped, he began tending to his black spear.
He meticulously checked the blade for nicks, wiping away the lingering blood, while Ssa and the porters dumped the beast carcasses from the cargo hold onto the ground and set to work dismantling them with swift hands.
"Come on, no time to waste—move fast. Just take the hides, teeth, and horns."
"What about the meat and innards?"
"Can't eat 'em. And at this heat, it'll spoil before we go far. No time to process, so bury 'em rough. Dinte, take Huseok and Dascon and dig a pit. Saiji and Eres, work with me."
"Yes!"
"Yep."
Hwan-in watched Ssa's crew bustle about as he finished with the spear and began playing tug-of-war with Emergency Ration.
For a bird, it loved biting and wrestling. Hwan-in dangled a short stick and shook it up and down; Emergency Ration clamped its beak on the end and tugged with grunts.
Yielding just a bit here and there, pulling and swinging side to side, Hwan-in kept it entertained as it hopped about, chirping gleefully.
"Go get it."
Kuet!
He flung the stick, and Emergency Ration bolted after it like an arrow.
It wasn't flying but running—questionable for a bird, but they'd said it would fly, run, and do it all once fully grown. Hwan-in just watched.
Then, sensing footsteps behind him, he asked without turning.
"What is it?"
"Um... well..."
Hwan-in turned to Isillete, who was hesitating and not speaking clearly, and glanced at the entity on her shoulder.
"The thing attached to you hasn't changed. I'll take a proper look once we're somewhere without people. Wait."
"O-okay..."
That wasn't the only reason she'd approached.
Isillete hesitated a moment longer but couldn't bring herself to speak and trudged back to Brillit.
It was too embarrassing to ask how she'd performed yesterday—especially since he'd outshone her.
She had to earn her master's approval somehow... but how?
The only thing she had over him was raw strength. What could she even do with that?
She racked her brain, but all that came to mind were tawdry offers of her body, like some whore. But he'd already rejected that.
No ideas surfaced, deepening her frustration—until Ssa's mocking voice reached her ears.
"If you're dumb, at least be innocent. But trying to act like a cat with a bull's temper? What a mutt."
"...You talking to me?"
"Whoops, sharp ears too."
"...!"
As Isillete bristled at the sarcasm and opened her mouth to snap back, Ssa cut her off sharply.
"Go ahead, throw a tantrum if it suits you. But that's exactly why you'll never get what you want. Hell, you're lucky the soul master doesn't get fed up and ditch you."
"...How do you know what I want?"
"How could I run a merchant caravan without knowing that much?"
Ssa chuckled, and though Isillete despised the sight of him, his words carried such weight—and the image of her future master abandoning her was so vivid—that she swallowed her anger.
Ssa frowned at her and set down the carcass he was holding, waving his skinning knife as he spoke.
"Not sniffing around the soul master for scraps, are you? Nah, with you, it's probably drooling over his skills. Even our Brillit sneaks peeks at her every hour."
Brillit, who'd been watching the butchering nearby, quickly turned her head. Ssa laughed heartily and continued.
"What, with someone who can even purify entities~ And has a personality, so it doesn't seem like he'd force it off~ Plus insane combat skills—if you hit the jackpot as his apprentice, you'd be set~."
"...!"
Isillete's heart plummeted at Ssa's slow, rhythmic mutter.
Was her thinking that obvious? Had her master noticed too?
Ssa eyed the clearly rattled Isillete with pity.
Just as she loathed his constant barbs and mockery, Ssa equally despised her clinging to Hwan-in.
To him, Isillete was a fly buzzing around fine cuisine.
Who likes pests ruining good food?
Ssa knew Hwan-in had already decided to take in this foolish woman. Letting her be would surely cause him trouble.
He mocked her because he disliked her, but he couldn't just leave her alone.
Sighing dramatically for her benefit, Ssa said,
"So, what are you to the soul master?"
"...Prospective maid?"
"Maid? More like slave. At least you know that much. I figured you still thought you were some hotshot bandit boss."
Isillete bristled again at being called a slave after saying maid, but she tamped down her anger and growled softly.
"Quit sniping and say what you mean!"
She kept her voice low, not wanting Hwan-in to hear her snap, but Ssa just snorted.
"If you know you're a slave, act like one. Why still do whatever you please? Pride? Don't like taking orders?"
"Wh-what did I even do...?"
"Last night's raid—when Ktachinan came asking if we'd cooperate, what did you do?"
"...? I said I'd help."
Ssa sighed deeply at her head-tilt, thinking she really was bull-headed.
Gently leading someone to realize their own mistakes was effective teaching, but this ex-bandit had such a blank slate for a brain that hints went over her head.
"Remember how Brillit acted beside you then?"
"Well... the spear girl asked your permission first. If it was okay to go."
"Memory's not totally shot. Right—Brillit's officially my guard, so she asked me first. But you?"
"Uh..."
"You're about to be the soul master's slave, aren't you? Why decide and act on your own? Oh, wait—maybe because you haven't signed that one-sided binding contract yet, you still think you're a free citizen?"
"..."
"You get that you're a slave, but want to act on your own whims. You'll serve, but only get what you want. Total free-for-all. If it were me, I wouldn't take in a pro like you."
"I'd do the same..."
Ssa's eyebrow twitched slightly at Isillete's dejected, honest admission.
He'd expected at least a little outburst, not this meek agreement.
'Not a total lost cause.'
Despite resenting his barbs, she owned up to facts and had pro-level strength and stamina. With proper training, she'd be useful enough.
Gathering his knowledge, Ssa told her,
"If you're serious about submitting to the soul master, I can teach you the mindset and conduct of a relative slave—or maid. I've managed that line of work before. Then he won't toss you aside as useless."
"Really? ...What do you want from me?"
"Ho, you can think that far?"
"No merchant like you does favors for free. I'm simple and crude, but I know that much. It's why I turned bandit..."
Bandit because of merchants like him? Suspecting backstory, Ssa scratched his chin stubble and spoke casually.
"As you know, the soul master's incredible. Potential-wise, tops anyone I've seen. Good personality, but firm. Powerful skills, yet humble, no boasting. Someone you connect with no matter what—someone destined to be great."
"..."
"You asked what I want? Fixing your temper and behavior helps him, and strengthens our bond with him. That's why. Clear?"
"Roughly. So you're after scraps from the master too. How's that different from me?"
Ssa gaped in shock.
Reducing such elegant networking to crude profit boiled his blood.
"That's why warrior brains are so rigid! Everything simplified to your level! If I loved money that much, I'd expand city shops—why caravan?!"
He smacked bones with his knife in frustration. Isillete pouted, as if to say, Was I wrong?
Chest tight, Ssa bellowed again.
"Wrong! Dead wrong! How can you equate them?! People can't live alone! Why?! Since ancient..."
Hwan-in, playing with Emergency Ration, turned at Ssa's shout.
Ssa was lecturing seated Isillete, who tilted her head in confusion. Seemed ineffective.
Not worth intervening, Hwan-in resumed playing and pondering last night's spirit.
"Greetings."
Ktachinan approached from the ivory wagon, parked at a neutral distance, and bowed slightly in courtesy.
Hwan-in caught the vibe of troublesome business from his social poise.
Innocuous on the surface, but this warrior guarded a tiger clan direct lineage—elite nobility here. For him to bow first meant cause.
"What is it?"
Ktachinan sensed unexpected familiarity in the curt reply.
'That's the composure of ruling class... Come to think.'
He'd ignored Ktachinan at first meeting, while the merchant showed him deference.
Last night was too dark, but now the leather outfit was refined design.
His spear's gleaming black blade screamed luxury...
'And skills off the charts.'
Ktachinan's gaze flicked to the bird the man played with.
'...A green kue hatchling?'
In that brief moment, gauging the man's status, Ktachinan grew more deferential.
"I came to express thanks for last night. Had you not blocked the heteromorph horde at the rear, harm would have reached my charge. My deepest gratitude."
"Just doing what needed doing. Think nothing of it."
Mention of noble duty confirmed it for Ktachinan: tiger clan or ruling class for sure.
Such refined speech wasn't for street rats or illiterate freefolk.
'Training elite. Nearly made an enemy of Awik house.'
He'd planned to recommend Awik house apprenticeship. Pro or not, those skills made ideal in-house martial tutor.
Suggesting that to nobility? Near-disaster.
"I offer respect to one upholding noble duty. Please accept this."
"...?"
Noble what? What was he on about?
Hwan-in sensed misunderstanding but accepted the token without correcting—a complex plaid ornament of belt coin, knots, and tassels.
"Awik house insignia. When in Raria city, knock on Awik's door. The house lord will... um..."
"Hwan-in."
"Yes. The house lord will welcome Hwan-in grandly."
"..."
Grand welcome just for fighting off heteromorphs with him?
Baffled, but Ktachinan's lowered voice explained.
"Truth be told, our young Second Young Master is still young. Far younger than you might imagine..."
Swaddled-infant young. One hit on the wagon would've been crisis.
Ktachinan thanked again, urged repeatedly, then departed. The wagon rolled off right after, as if done.
"..."
Hwan-in eyed the insignia like a decorative charm, then shoved it into his bag.
Just trouble if he went. No plans to visit Awik. With that, he forgot it.