Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Companion
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"Hee-hee-heeing!"
Early morning.
A gray elf in a splendid uniform pulled a carriage up in front of the inn.
"This carriage is for the second-place winner, Mr. Lee Do... jae? And this is for you as well."
He retrieved a small box from the driver's seat.
"The prize money, 3,000 gold. Congratulations once again on being the runner-up."
The gray elf bowed with disciplined movements before departing.
The prize for second place was a carriage and three thousand gold.
It might seem modest compared to first place, but for Do-jae, it was a perfectly suitable gift.
"Wow! A carriage. Does this mean we don't have to walk anymore?"
Sari asked with an excited face, examining the carriage from all angles.
The Tuvaln Kingdom, situated right below a mountain range, had forced them to travel on foot. But from now on, they could use the roads built by humans. A carriage was a much-needed mode of transportation for Do-jae's group.
"I don't know how far the leaves have scattered, but we'll need to hurry from now on."
They had spent four days in the Tuvaln Kingdom.
Nine days had already passed.
Uncertain how long it would take to find the remaining leaves, they needed to move a bit more quickly.
"Does anyone know how to drive a carriage? I mean, any gray elves or dwarves?"
Shaking heads—
More shaking heads—
Sari and Oson shook their heads and laughed.
Do-jae realized his mistake.
Even with a carriage, they had no one who knew how to drive it.
‘I didn't think about a driver... I should have asked Salreuta at the banquet!’
Yesterday, they had been invited to a royal banquet.
A grand party was held for all the contestants who made it to the main tournament.
Do-jae hadn't particularly wanted to go, but the gray elf who delivered the invitation had pleaded so earnestly that he felt compelled to attend.
Of course, a party full of unfamiliar gray elves was hardly enjoyable. He just tasted some of the strange foods and chatted with the other contestants.
Everyone was a little intrigued by Do-jae's high elf appearance without his robe, but no one showed any aversion.
During their conversations, Salreuta and Katania had mentioned they would be traveling on horseback, but Do-jae had completely forgotten about the carriage.
"We need to find a driver first."
They would have to hire a driver for the rest of their journey.
Fortunately, with the prize money and the earnings from selling cup ramen, their finances were in good shape.
But just then, the carriage door opened by itself.
Creeaak—.
"I happen to know a thing or two about driving a carriage. Khl-hl-hl."
The one stepping out of the carriage was Tahul.
It was Tahul, the perverted old gray elf who had taken third place in the tournament.
"Do-jae, what's going on? Why is that old man here?"
"I know... I'm wondering the same thing."
Do-jae looked at Tahul.
He still had those squinted eyes and an inscrutable smile.
"Why are you in my carriage?"
"Can't you give a ride to a poor, helpless old man passing by?"
Tahul said, his gaze shifting to Sari.
He leered at Sari with his narrowly opened eyes.
Sari shuddered and clung to Do-jae.
"Do-jae, that old man is weird..."
Do-jae hid Sari behind him and said.
"Get out. I won't tolerate you looking at Sari with those lecherous eyes."
"Oh, my apologies. It's a habit."
Tahul stepped out of the carriage and slowly walked over to the driver's seat.
Then, he casually grabbed the reins.
"Hey, I told you to get away from my carriage..."
"Listen here, young human."
Do-jae and Sari were startled by Tahul's words.
Besides Salreuta and Katania, no other gray elf knew that Do-jae was human.
"The thing is, I overheard the two of you talking the other day."
"What conversation? Do-jae, did you tell someone else you're human?"
"He probably saw me when I was helping Salreuta. You enjoy eavesdropping, I see."
"Hl-hl, eavesdropping? How could I possibly ignore someone who radiates such immense mana?"
Tahul let out a sly laugh.
Do-jae swallowed hard and asked.
"So, is there something you want? I don't really care if you go around telling everyone I'm human."
"Right, it doesn't matter to me whether you're human or not. Like I said, I just want a ride. And that ride is to a ruin."
"A ruin?"
Sari asked with interest.
The word 'ruin' seemed to have set off her adventure radar.
"There's a ruin left behind by the Great Ones. I'd like you to take me there."
"The Great Ones... Are you saying a ruin of those I've only read about in books still exists?"
"Khl-hl-hl. The young lady seems interested, eh?"
"Yes! Totally! Do-jae... let's take this old man with us!"
Do-jae let out a dry laugh and looked at Sari.
He found it absurd that Sari wanted to travel with the old man who had been leering at her just moments ago.
"Sari, just a moment ago..."
"Do-jae... it's not just any ruin, it's a ruin of the Great Ones. Just think, how grand and beautiful it must be! There will be structures soaring into the sky, things we can't even imagine."
"The young lady has a sense of romance. You can tell just by looking at the divine artifacts and statues left by the Great Ones. But for some reason, the ruins where they actually lived have never been found. I've finally discovered one, and I'm offering to take you there."
"Do-jae... look. Doesn't it just make your heart pound?"
Sari clenched her fists.
Her eyes were sparkling brightly.
"Still, no. We might not have enough time."
"Where is your next destination?"
Do-jae took out the twig from inside his robe.
The twig was pointing northeast.
"We'll be heading straight in this direction."
"Hoooh. Perfect! That's the same direction I'm headed. So, what do you say? I may not look it, but I'm quite good with horses."
"We can just hire a driver. I don't see any reason to take a perverted old man like you..."
"Heh heh, what a cautious young human. From now on, I won't show the slightest bit of interest in this young lady. Will that suffice? And perhaps this might pique your interest?"
Tahul pulled something from his robes.
It was a piece of a wooden carving.
"What is that?"
"This is a fragment of a mask worn by one of the Great Ones."
Tahul held the fragment up to his face.
Instantly, a vision of the complete mask formed in Do-jae's mind.
"From Elatra's temple..."
"Ooh! That's right! It's a fragment of the mask worn by the Great One, Lady Elatra."
"Hmm..."
If he went to Elatra's ruin, he might learn more about her.
Do-jae's interest was slightly piqued.
"Very well. You can drive the carriage. But I can't promise we'll take you all the way to your destination. I have priorities more important than ruins."
"That's more than enough for me."
Creeak—.
Do-jae opened the carriage door.
"Then let's leave at once."
"Yay! It's an adventure!"
"Master, I'll ride in the driver's seat!"
"Khl-hl-hl, what lively companions."
Having finished the tournament in the Tuvaln Kingdom, they set off for their next destination.
Each of them filled with anticipation for what new events might unfold.
***
Do-jae's party traveled down the road leading from the kingdom.
They traveled all day, but they didn't cover as much ground as Do-jae had expected.
Since the carriage was pulled by horses, they had to take frequent breaks, and sitting for so long was not easy.
No matter how soft the cushion was, the rattling of the wheels was transmitted directly to his backside, and for Do-jae, who was riding a carriage for the first time, the fatigue was considerable.
"Whoa, whoa!"
Tahul suddenly reined in the horses.
Sari opened the front window of the carriage and asked.
"What's wrong?"
Tahul looked back and said.
"It's about time we stopped here for a rest."
Tahul pointed to the sky.
The sun was setting behind the mountains, painting the sky in a crimson sunset.
"Let's do that."
Do-jae got out of the carriage and stretched his back.
He looked at the carriage and gained a new appreciation for how great a field science was.
"We only had jerky for lunch, so shall I show off my skills? Do-jae, if you please!"
Sari said to Do-jae, rolling up her sleeves.
Do-jae nodded and took out ingredients and cooking utensils from his subspace.
Tahul watched him intently but showed no particular reaction.
"It'll get chilly soon, so I'm thinking of making a warm stew and some grilled chicken to go with the bread we bought. While I prepare the ingredients, Oson! I need a fire."
At Sari's words, Oson went off to gather twigs.
Do-jae also gathered some suitable rocks and arranged them to make a place to sit in a circle.
Fwoosh—!
Using a lighter, Oson ignited some dry leaves to use as kindling for the twigs he had gathered, and soon a fire was roaring.
After placing a round pot from Do-jae's subspace over the fire, Sari added various vegetables and meat, then filled it with water.
The stew soon began to boil vigorously, and in the meantime, Sari tossed pieces of chopped chicken in a homemade sauce.
"Oson, move the stew to the side. I'm going to grill the chicken now."
Oson strained to lift the pot and set it aside, and Sari placed a cast-iron pan on the fire.
As she placed the chicken pieces on the pan one by one, the sizzling sound and the spicy, savory aroma stimulated Do-jae's nose and ears.
"Alright, shall we all eat?"
As if they had been waiting for her words, everyone eagerly reached for the stew and grilled chicken.
"Khe-heh-heh! This is delicious! So good!"
"Sari, this is really good. It's perfect for my palate."
The meal Sari prepared was perfectly suited to Do-jae's taste, with no sense of unfamiliarity.
The stew was a little plain but had the clean taste of pork and rice soup, while the grilled chicken tasted like sweet and spicy fried chicken, a perfect balance of flavors.
"Hl-hl, to be able to eat a meal this good in the middle of nowhere. This is quite the party."
Tahul also enjoyed Sari's cooking with great admiration.
"A cold glass of beer would be great right now. Don't you think, Master?"
"Hoh, the dwarf fellow knows a thing or two."
"Hey, old gray elf! I have a name, and it's Oson Ironhammer!"
"A dwarf is a dwarf. Why get so hung up on a name?"
"Why you old geezer!"
Oson stopped eating and shot up from his seat.
They had been bickering throughout the carriage ride, and it seemed Oson could no longer stand it.
"Oson, sit down. And you, old man, please call Oson by his proper name. Only then can I treat you with proper respect as well."
Mediating between Oson and Tahul, Do-jae took a small oak barrel from his subspace.
"Whoaa! Beer! Do-jae, when did you buy beer?"
"The day I drank with Salreuta and Katania."
"Huh? Why didn't I know?"
"Because you were passed out drunk that day..."
Do-jae handed out the beer mugs he had gotten when he bought the beer.
"Old man, what was your reason for participating in the tournament?"
Do-jae asked Tahul.
Since they were traveling together, it was necessary to get to know each other.
What were his intentions? Why had he approached Do-jae's group, of all people?
"It's not a very interesting story. What's the point of listening to an old man's tale?"
"Tell me. Depending on the story, I might be able to help you, or I might just leave you here."
Tahul looked up at Do-jae, his narrow eyes opening a fraction wider.
"Aish, you wicked human. Leaving me here is the same as telling me to die, isn't it?"
"With your skills, would you really die?"
"Tsk, tsk. Fine. It's not like I have some grand, hidden motive anyway."
Tahul downed his beer in one gulp and began to speak.