Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: The Kingdom of Tubalreun
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"Khehehe! Khehehet!"
Oson, holding the Torn ore, giggled with a wide grin.
*I'd forgotten about it.*
It was the unknown mineral he had obtained from the brown box after completing the first harpy hunting quest.
He’d hastily shoved it into his subspace back then and completely forgotten about it, but Sari's explanation had jogged his memory.
And as luck would have it, that mineral was the very ore called Torn that Oson had been searching for.
*Better than seeing that gloomy look on his face.*
Do-jae handed three lumps of Torn ore to Oson.
He had no use for them himself, and even if he tried to sell them, finding someone who could properly appraise these rocks would be difficult. So he gave them to Oson.
Besides, he had plenty of things he needed Oson to do, and plenty to get from him in return.
*But first…*
Do-jae frowned and called out to Oson.
"Dwarf!"
"Yes, Human-nim!"
"Ahem. Sorry, I should use your proper name first. Oson, my name is Lee Do-jae. My family name is Lee, and my given name is Do-jae."
"Yes! Is there something you need me to do?"
"When was the last time you washed?"
A sour, pungent smell had been wafting over for a while now.
From the moment Oson took off his armor, a foul odor had assaulted Do-jae's nose, nearly paralyzing it.
"About a week ago, sir. I washed in the river before climbing the mountain, but I've been trekking through the mountains ever since…"
"You filthy creature. Go find a nearby stream and wash up!"
Thud.
Do-jae tossed Oson a bar of soap.
It was the cucumber-scented soap supplied by the Suppression Corps.
"What's this?"
"Scrub yourself from head to toe with it. And change into these. Wash the clothes you were wearing, too!"
Do-jae also threw him a shirt and a pair of shorts he wore for sleeping.
Oson respectfully took the soap and clothes with both hands and vanished in a flash.
Of course, Do-jae had made him leave all his belongings behind, so there was zero chance of him running away.
Even if Oson were to abandon everything and flee, with his short, stumpy legs, he wouldn't get far before Do-jae caught him.
*Come to think of it, I could use a wash myself.*
In truth, Do-jae was starting to smell a bit ripe himself.
He hadn't had a proper shower since arriving in this world, so it would be stranger if he didn't smell.
Which reminded him, Sari should be in the same boat, so why did she not have any odor at all?
"Sari, don't you need to wash?"
"Huh? I washed this morning."
Sari had already washed?
Do-jae hadn't seen her wash at all.
She had been by his side ever since they set out.
"When?"
"While you were skinning the Gigwoks?"
Before Oson was captured, Do-jae had been skinning the three Gigwoks his golems had hunted.
Gigwok hide was tough and had excellent thermal insulation, making it popular among the elves.
So, while Do-jae was busy skinning the large dog-sized creatures, Sari had apparently washed up.
"Weren't you right next to me the whole time? When on earth did you go to wash?"
"I used Cleansing Magic to wash!"
Her words made Do-jae's eyes widen.
To think there was magic that allowed one to wash so easily in such a remote, mountainous region.
"That magic, can you cast it on me?"
"Of course! Just a moment!"
As Sari began to chant, a cool sensation spread over Do-jae's body.
He could feel the grease and stickiness being washed away, and by the time her spell was finished, he felt as refreshed as if he had just stepped out of a shower.
Clap, clap, clap.
Thoroughly satisfied, Do-jae applauded.
With Cleansing Magic, their future travels would be much more comfortable.
"I didn't know humans had to wash every day. Just let me know whenever you want to wash from now on!"
"Alright. Thanks, Sari. How about cup ramen for lunch today?"
"Ooh! I'd love that!"
Feeling pleased, Do-jae took out two cup ramens to prepare, then took out one more.
Oson had returned, shivering in Do-jae's tight-fitting clothes after washing in the cold stream.
"Hehe. I'm back!"
Oson beamed, holding his dripping dwarven clothes.
Oson Ironhammer, who had risked his life to come to the unfamiliar Kuran Mountains to save his village, was truly a sight to behold.
But what could be done?
He had the misfortune of running into Do-jae.
And in this world, Do-jae had nothing holding him back.
***
Afterward, the journey of Do-jae, Sari, and Oson to find the leaf proceeded smoothly.
Following the branch, they crossed mountains and rivers.
Thanks to the golems hunting ahead, they encountered very few monsters, and Oson's remarkable skill at butchering them allowed them to quickly take what they needed and move on.
On the fifth day, they finally left the Kuran Mountains behind and came face to face with a massive fortress wall.
"It must be somewhere around here."
Do-jae took the branch out from his clothes.
Unlike before, Arktria's branch was now trembling slightly.
This meant that the leaf Arktria had scattered was close.
"A kingdom! Do-jae… does this mean we can finally sleep in a bed?"
Sari said, her face filled with emotion.
Although it had only been five days since they left her village, for someone new to traveling, sleeping outdoors had been quite arduous.
Now that a kingdom with an inn had appeared, she could finally rest comfortably in a bed and recover from the journey's fatigue.
"Sari, where are we?"
"This is the Tubalreun Kingdom! It was originally a human castle, but now it's inhabited by Gray Elves. It's a very beautiful castle! But Oson… it should be fine now."
Sari's eyes twitched slightly as she looked at Oson.
She knew what his status was within the kingdom.
However, Oson himself seemed completely unfazed.
"Let's go in."
Do-jae pulled his robe's hood down low.
He then headed toward the main gate of the Tubalreun Kingdom.
"Halt!"
As they reached the entrance of the large gate, a Gray Elf blocked their path, leveling his spear.
He was a gatekeeper clad in heavy armor, something not seen in Nightingale Village.
"One dwarf and one Gray Elf. The other party, state your identity and purpose."
The Gray Elf soldier questioned Do-jae.
His tone and attitude were somewhat forceful, but there seemed to be no ill intent.
"I am Oson Ironhammer! A proud blacksmith of the Ironhammer clan! My master wishes to enter the kingdom. Open the way!"
Oson stepped forward and declared proudly.
In the past few days, Do-jae had come to be called "master."
After Oson was caught trying to escape while Do-jae slept, he received a "massage" from the golems and had been calling him master ever since.
"Don't you get ahead of yourself, dwarf!"
"Hmph! Open the gate at once!"
The Gray Elf soldier threatened Oson.
But Oson didn't back down and spoke with even more vigor.
"What's this, some dwarf? Who is this creature's master?"
"Dwarf creature? I believe I told you my name is Oson Ironhammer."
Even standing before a Gray Elf soldier twice his height, Oson wasn't intimidated and spoke with even greater confidence.
While Oson, for reasons unknown, argued with the gatekeeper, Do-jae debated whether he should take off his robe and reveal that he was human.
Judging by the atmosphere in Sari's village, it was highly likely he would draw considerable attention in the kingdom as well.
He wanted to move around as covertly as possible, so he glanced around at the fortress walls.
*This looks climbable…*
The stone wall was about the height of a four or five-story apartment building.
Do-jae could easily scale it by using the protruding stones as footholds.
The same went for Sari, with her light-footed movements.
The problem, however, was Oson.
No matter how he thought about it, there seemed to be no chance of Oson climbing a wall of this height.
*If only I had some spare mana stones.*
If Do-jae had extra mana stones, he could have used the Golem Summon skill on one side of the wall to create an opening.
He hadn't used the Golem Summon skill yet, so it was uncertain if he could use it properly, but it was worth a try.
However, he had no mana stones at the moment, and recalling the already summoned golems felt like a waste of the experience they had accumulated.
He was considering carrying Oson up or tying a rope to pull him up when Sari stepped in front of Oson and spoke.
"I am Sarieta, the chief of Nightingale Forest. I am here on business in the kingdom."
Sari took out a necklace carved in the shape of a nightingale from her pocket and showed it to the gatekeeper.
"Ah, you're the chief of Nightingale Forest. To be a chief at such a young age. My apologies for not recognizing you."
"It's alright. Could you please open the gate for us?"
"If this dwarf's master is the chief, I can permit his entry, but as for the one in the robe, we still need to confirm their identity…"
The gatekeeper continued to block the gate, glaring at Do-jae, when a middle-aged gatekeeper came running over, out of breath.
"Hey, hey, let them through."
"Sir? I haven't yet confirmed that person's identity and purpose."
"Tsk, it's fine. Just let them through. Uh, Lady Sarieta?"
The middle-aged gatekeeper called out to Sari deferentially.
"Yes, please speak."
"Is Lady Salireuna doing well?"
"Yes. My grandmother is well."
"I see, I understand. I will open the gate for you."
At the middle-aged gatekeeper's gesture, the gate opened.
He then bowed deeply to Sari.
"Thank you for visiting Tubalreun. I hope you have a pleasant journey."
Thanks to the middle-aged gatekeeper's consideration, Do-jae was able to pass through the gate without taking off his robe.
Sari also gave the older gatekeeper a gentle nod and asked.
"Thank you. May I ask your name?"
"Ah! It's Tihalke!"
"Tihalke, I'll remember that. Well then, excuse us."
And so, Do-jae's party passed through the gate and entered the kingdom.
Tihalke watched Sari walk away, humming a pleasant tune with a cheerful expression.
Seeing this, the first gatekeeper asked Tihalke with a puzzled look.
"Tihalke, even if they are with the chief, is it really okay to just let them in like that?"
"She's not just any chief."
"Sir? Are there chiefs who are just chiefs and chiefs who aren't?"
"Tsk, tsk, you know nothing. Hey, Sutapeu. Do you know who His Majesty the King's teacher was?"
"How would I know that?"
"You fool. That's why you're just a lowly gatekeeper."
"Hmph, you're a gatekeeper too."
Tihalke glared at Sutapeu, who kept talking back.
"You brat. Anyway, the King's teacher was the Sage Salireuna, the former chief who now resides in Nightingale Forest. And that Lady Sarieta is her granddaughter. They look so much alike."
"Ooh… I didn't know. But what business could she have in the kingdom?"
"Perhaps His Majesty summoned her? Lady Salireuna is old, so Lady Sarieta came in her stead. Asking for my name must mean something like that, right? Hehe."
"Nah, maybe not. It's festival season right now. Maybe she just came to have fun?"
"Nonsense! Why would the granddaughter of a sage come for a fighting tournament! She must be here for some other important matter."
"If you get a promotion, Tihalke, don't forget me!"
Tihalke and Sutapeu bickered as they returned to their posts.
Never dreaming that Sari had come to the kingdom solely because of Do-jae, they indulged in fantasies of promotion.