Chapter 140
Chapter 140
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: The Price of Meat
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As Do-jae played innocent, Theus trembled and glared at him.
So, Do-jae subtly opened his palm for only Theus to see.
Theus clamped his open mouth shut, his face twisting into a deep frown.
"So, what's it going to be? Are you going to pay?"
"How much! Fine, we'll pay."
"I'll need about two thousand gold."
"Two thousand gold? That's the elves' currency. Oidas, how much is two thousand gold in our money?"
"...About two hundred thousand daka."
Apiles was stunned by Oidas's words.
Two hundred thousand daka was an enormous sum of money.
"Two hundred thousand daka? How much could a child possibly eat to warrant a price of two hundred thousand daka!"
"So, are you going to pay or not? For the record, I'll get it one way or another."
Do-jae said, looking Apiles straight in the eyes.
Apiles glared for a long moment before abruptly turning away.
He didn't know Do-jae's skill level, but he knew there were many formidable individuals among the High Elves, so he concluded he couldn't act rashly.
"Tch, follow me. I don't know anything about this, so you can talk to this kid's father."
Apiles entered the city walls.
A wary Oidas and an upset-looking Theus followed behind him.
Do-jae also followed them with a grin, passing through the city gate.
***
*Everything is huge.*
The width of the roads, the height of the buildings, the Titans passing by.
There was nothing that wasn't enormous.
*No wonder he mistook me for a dwarf.*
Do-jae walked with a quick stride, looking around.
Oidas had taken the Thunder Tiger and returned to the top of the wall, while he and Theus were now hurrying to keep up with Apiles.
"What's a High Elf doing all the way out here?"
"Look how small he is. They say High Elves are the smallest among the elves, and it's true."
The passing Titans commented as they saw Do-jae.
He had never once in his life considered himself short, but here, he was practically a midget.
*They're a race where every single one could be called a warrior.*
The Titans, as Do-jae observed, were a physically superior race.
Men and women alike possessed great height and massive builds, with muscle mass that was incomparably larger and more defined than that of humans.
Consequently, every one of them was strong.
Even small children—by Titan standards, anyway—played by swinging logs as thick as a grown man's waist, and an old, white-haired Titan could effortlessly lift and move a boulder the size of his own torso.
"Are you serious right now?"
Just as he was taking in the sights of Titan life.
Theus nudged Do-jae and spoke.
Caught off guard, Do-jae nearly stumbled.
"Hey, kid, I almost fell."
"Why did you lie! Wasn't the meat free?"
"When? Did I ever say I was giving it to you for free?"
"Then why did you give it to me? And two hundred thousand daka? Even I know how much that is! It's enough to buy ten of those tiger pelts and still have money left over!"
"You looked hungry, so I offered it, and you just reached out without a word. I help out a starving kid, and this is the thanks I get? Ungrateful brat."
"Ugh...! Are you going to charge my dad for the meat too?"
"Of course."
"You're so annoying!"
Theus burst with frustration as his words had no effect.
Hearing the commotion, Apiles glanced back with a look of pity.
*If I had my way, I'd fold that High Elf in half and throw him to Pananya for dinner...*
Apiles turned his head back and continued walking.
*I have a feeling I shouldn't mess with him. He must be stronger than me...*
Despite being much smaller than him, for some reason, Do-jae didn't feel small at all.
Titans, contrary to their appearance, were a race highly sensitive to atmosphere.
That was also why they lived in isolation in this harsh rainforest.
Their heightened senses, more acute than other races, caused them to pick up a great deal of unnecessary information, which became a source of stress that threatened the prosperity of their entire race.
It was this unique sense that had activated, making Apiles realize the extraordinary aura emanating from Do-jae, which was why he was staying quiet.
*Whatever, Harkes will handle it.*
Harkes, the strongest in the Western Rainforest.
Thinking that he would be a worthy match for Do-jae, Apiles continued on his way.
However, Theus, still in his growth period, had less developed senses and was still grumbling at Do-jae.
"I trusted you and even made a promise!"
"I'll keep my promise too. I'll give you the meat for a fair price, and I won't attack your father."
"How can I trust a liar?"
"Whether you trust me or not is up to you. But why do you keep talking to me so informally?"
Do-jae said with a frown.
Come to think of it, this kid, who was only eleven, kept speaking to him so casually.
"Because you're smaller than me."
"Have you never seen a human before? I've lived at least twenty years longer than you."
"But you're still smaller than me."
"...Never mind. More importantly, what does your father do?"
"My dad? He's the strongest person in the village!"
Theus began to explain about his father, Harkes.
Harkes was one of the three leaders who governed the village and was considered the strongest of all Titan warriors in history.
He lacked nothing in strength, speed, or martial arts, but his most outstanding trait was said to be his senses.
Other Titans unanimously said that watching Harkes was like seeing the future, and in his fights, he would indeed attack one step ahead of his enemies.
Because of this, every one of his attacks was a critical hit, and Harkes had established himself as the undisputed strongest of the Titan race, Theus said with confidence.
"My dad is really amazing. Someone like me can't even hold a candle to him."
"You know a lot about your dad. You like him a lot, huh?"
"Of course! I've always respected my dad!"
Do-jae looked at Theus, whose eyes were sparkling.
It was the same look Do-young had given him the day after he held a small autograph session on the first floor of the guild building.
*He might be strong, but he's still just a kid...*
Anyway, if Harkes was one of the village leaders, he would surely be well-informed about the outside world.
It made no sense for someone like that to be ignorant of what was happening outside.
Being able to meet a leader of the village right away was quite a stroke of luck.
*Maybe I'll ask for information instead of money for the meat.*
***
*Step, step—*
Harkes rose from his seat and stepped outside his door.
A tremendous aura he had been sensing for a while now.
The aura was steadily approaching his house.
And though masked by that aura, he could also sense the presences of his son, Theus, and Apiles mixed in.
"Oh, Harkes! You were out? Sorry to bother you while you were resting."
Apiles, arriving a moment later, greeted him with an awkward expression.
Harkes gave a slight nod in reply, then looked at the small High Elf standing next to his son.
A man exuding an aura unlike any he had ever felt in his life.
He was a man who felt like an icicle growing upward under the warm sun.
At the very least, he didn't sense any hostility.
"Are you this child's father, Harkes?"
"I am. And who might you be?"
"A creditor, you could say? I've come to collect a debt."
"A debt?"
Harkes wore a curious expression.
The man had said something completely unexpected.
"Haha... Well, I'll be heading back then! See you later!"
"Bye, Mr. Apiles!"
Apiles hurried away with an embarrassed look on his face.
Watching Apiles bring this man here only to flee as if escaping, Harkes let out a disbelieving chuckle.
"Well, he should have at least explained. Did Apiles borrow money from you?"
"No. The one who owes me is this one."
The man pointed at Theus.
Harkes was even more bewildered by this.
What could his son, who was supposed to be undergoing his coming-of-age ceremony, possibly owe a High Elf?
"Dad, he said he needs to get money from you..."
"Theus, what happened with your coming-of-age ceremony?"
"The ceremony? Oh, right, here!"
Theus took out the Lightning Tiger's whisker and showed it off proudly.
Harkes nodded.
He never thought his son, who was growing much faster than he had at that age, would be unable to handle a single Lightning Tiger.
"Then what are you doing here instead of going to the Hall of Warriors? Go submit the whisker and officially receive your title as a warrior."
"Okay..."
Theus replied in a dejected voice and trudged away.
Harkes felt a little sorry for speaking so sternly, but the coming-of-age ceremony was extremely important for a Titan warrior.
Normally, as soon as Theus returned, Apiles should have announced it to the entire village, and Theus would have proceeded to the Hall of Warriors with a grand welcome. But this man had clearly disrupted the proceedings.
Even though his son's ceremony was held under difficult circumstances due to village rules, it was still an occasion worthy of celebration.
"Name the amount. I will pay it."
"Quite a straightforward father, aren't you?"
"And I must hear what kind of debt my son incurred. Depending on the details, I must decide whether to cancel his coming-of-age ceremony or to blame you."
"And a strict father, too. Your son finished the hunt on his own. There's no need to cancel his ceremony."
"Then what could my son possibly owe you for?"
"He got some food from me right before the hunt. Quite a lot of it, too."
Harkes contemplated.
Was Theus's coming-of-age ceremony truly valid?
What if he hadn't received the food?
He wouldn't have been able to use his full strength. Would he have been able to hunt the Lightning Tiger?
"So he did not complete the ceremony properly... No. I will cancel my son's coming-of-age ceremony. State the amount."
"Well... that's not my business. The price is two thousand gold. I'm told that's two hundred thousand daka here."
"Two hundred thousand daka... I will pay it."
It was a large sum, but he could afford it.
Of course, he was certain the food Theus ate was not worth that much.
However, he wanted this unidentified outsider out of the village as quickly as possible.
"Really? No, you don't have to."
But this time, the man refused.
Just as he suspected, the man wanted something else.
"Forget the money. What I really need is information..."
"More importantly, your lip movements don't seem to match."
"Because I'm a High Elf. How would I know your language? I'm communicating through a special magic."
"No. Are you truly a High Elf? I have seen a Half-Elf before. I also know a little of the High Elven language. The common tongue as well, of course."
"Anyway, that's not what's important right now, is it? I'd like information instead of money."
Harkes stared intently at the man.
A man who was not a High Elf but had the appearance of one.
Harkes began to suspect the man.