Chapter 30
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Monster Tale Specialist Office: Child of the Centipede (10)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"I'm back!"
Woli shouted as she set down three large buckets. Taeju was startled by the sheer volume.
"Good work. You hauled a ton of water, huh?"
"Hehe, well, we've got more people now."
Hanseol beamed innocently in response to Taeju's words.
Taeju was surprised by how much water there was, but he nodded at Hanseol's point that four people would need this much.
The sun had already set, and the moon would rise soon.
With Hanseol's arrival, Okbun—who had softened her attitude considerably—opened the door and urged them inside.
Unlike a typical hanok compound, Hanseol's home was a single structure. Naturally, it was smaller than a standard hanok. Still, that one building wasn't exactly small.
The walls were made of earth, topped with tiled roofing. It wasn't a beautiful structure, but it was neat and tidy. No broken tiles, and the walls were smoothly built.
The most striking feature was the pillar. Crafted from thick timber, it seemed to come from a tree of considerable age. That sturdy wood was likely why the building had stood intact for so long.
Okbun addressed the group.
"Please head inside first. I'll prepare the meal."
Since Hanseol's return, Okbun had switched back to polite speech with Taeju. He didn't show it, but he thought, *She sure knows how to manage her image in front of Hanseol—impressively well.*
"I'll help too! You all go in and relax."
Hanseol dashed off to assist Okbun without a hint of fatigue from fetching the water.
Taeju slipped off his shoes and entered the room, calling out to Woli.
"Let's go in like we said. We have things to discuss, just the two of us."
At Taeju's words, Woli pulled her gaze from Hanseol and nodded. Her expression was stiff—she clearly had something to say too.
"Uh, well now."
The moment they stepped inside, both were at a loss for words at the room's appearance.
The interior was incredibly ornate. Reds, yellows, and blues—like the colors on Sia's bracelets—were painted here and there.
Taeju had guessed as much from the building's exterior, but Woli, who hadn't imagined it at all, furrowed her brow.
"Wow... it's really flashy."
"It's a shaman's shrine, after all. This one is."
Unlike a typical shaman's shrine, though, this one was spacious enough for people to live in, and well-equipped. There were blankets, pillows, books, candles, and candlesticks.
"It's way too big to call it a normal shrine. Big enough for actual living."
After a brief moment of admiration, the two leaned against the wall and sat down to talk.
"You noticed it too, right?"
"That Hanseol's sister isn't human?"
Woli caught on quick to Taeju's question and replied. Taeju nodded.
"Yeah. So you picked up on that."
"Of course I did. What do you take me for?"
Woli insisted that even she could spot something that obvious.
"But hey, in this whole mess, are we gonna end up fighting?"
Before Taeju could say anything, Woli beat him to the punch.
It was unusual. Woli typically waited for Taeju to explain everything before asking questions.
"Why do you ask all of a sudden?"
"Those paths around here."
Woli continued, recalling the route she'd taken.
"The path Hanseol uses is way too well-maintained. It's not like it just formed from constant traffic... Someone's clearly been tending to it carefully."
It was even better kept than the neglected asphalt path in front of the bus stop.
"You mean it shows consideration."
Taeju had sensed the same thing during his talk with Okbun.
"Yeah, I felt it too. Hanseol must've grown up incredibly loved in here."
Hanseol hadn't been ignorant of the outside world. She'd known about it but chosen not to leave on her own.
"And once she could get help, she came right back here to this scary centipede-infested place to rescue her sister."
Woli nodded at Taeju's words.
"So they really cherish each other."
They were essentially mother and daughter. They called each other sisters, but their bond went far deeper.
"With Okbun around, the centipede probably won't try to harm Hanseol. At least not right away."
Who knew what the centipede was thinking, but Okbun seemed to have some cooperative relationship with it. That much seemed possible.
"So we're not fighting the centipede? Give me a straight answer."
It was a real headache. Woli had no idea what to prepare for.
"We should still gear up for a fight. Even if it won't kill Hanseol, you think it'll hesitate to kill us?"
"Ugh."
Woli groaned and crossed her arms.
"Okay. Guess we do need to prep for battle."
"Yeah. Better safe than sorry, even if we don't end up fighting. But you—think you can take on a giant centipede barehanded?"
"No way."
Woli's "no way" meant not a lack of strength, but "no way I'm touching something that gross."
"But there's nothing around here that could pass as a weapon. Uprooting a tree would be awkward too."
Woli grumbled, and Taeju pondered for a moment before grinning.
"There is one."
"There is? Something like that?"
"You might wanna eat and then head out somewhere."
* * *
Throughout dinner, Hanseol chattered to Okbun about everything that had happened.
At first, Okbun scolded her that mealtime wasn't for talking, but seeing Hanseol's crestfallen face, she relented with, "Just this once."
Thanks to that, Hanseol chirped away like a baby bird the whole meal.
After dinner, Taeju and Hanseol took a stroll to aid digestion.
The meal—better than expected despite low hopes—was quite good. Woli griped a bit about the lack of meat, but it was incredibly healthy fare.
The fresh vegetables, a rarity lately, had whetted their appetites even more.
"How was the meal?"
At Hanseol's question, Taeju answered with a touch of exaggeration.
"Delicious. Felt like it was doing my body good."
"That's a relief!"
Hanseol looked up at the sky. Taeju followed suit.
Time had flown, and the sky was now pitch black. White specks twinkled against the darkness—a sight rare in the city.
Right now, Woli was probably sprinting toward the boundary. What should have taken hours would likely take her just one at this pace.
Taeju gazed at the sky for a bit. After a brief silence, Hanseol tentatively spoke to him, as if she had something on her mind.
"Um... I have something to say about my sister."
"What is it?"
"I asked her a few more times while we were prepping dinner. If she could come out with us."
"She flat-out refused to leave, I bet."
It was obvious from her attitude.
Hanseol nodded glumly at Taeju's words.
"Yeah, it really hurt. I never expected her to shut me down like that. She won't even tell me why she won't go."
Hanseol's face was full of genuine frustration.
And understandably so. After all that hardship, she'd come back to help her sister, only for the sister to say she wasn't leaving.
"Seriously, what is she thinking...?"
"So she's got no intention of going out alone, huh?"
"Of course not. If she throws a fit, I'll throw one right back."
Hanseol huffed defiantly. Logical persuasion clearly wasn't an option, so the louder voice would win—naturally. Taeju waited for her to calm a little before asking.
"Your request hasn't changed, right?"
"To help my sister? Hmm, but you've already helped me so much just getting here."
Taeju chuckled at Hanseol's polite response.
"We're helping because we get something out of it too. Don't think of it as us bending over backward just for you."
"Oh, right."
Hanseol grinned along with Taeju.
"That's actually reassuring. My sister warned me to watch out for people who approach under the guise of pure goodwill."
"Hard to believe you two lived alone. Where'd you practice that? You talk better than Woli."
"My sister said not to let anyone look down on me out there. Truth is, both she and I knew we'd have to go out someday. But I always thought we'd go together. I never imagined she'd plan to send me out alone."
Taeju grew thoughtful at Hanseol's words. Okbun had asked him to take only Hanseol out.
"Hanseol. What if you had to go without your sister? What would you do?"
"...I've never thought about it. But I don't want to go alone. I want to go with her somehow."
"That's your real goal, isn't it?"
Taeju asked. Hanseol nodded and countered.
"Is there a way?"
"It's possible. But I'd need your help."
Taeju figured one of them would have to yield. And it might not be as hard as he thought.
"Really...?"
"Yeah. I'm not big on lying."
"That's great, right?"
As Hanseol listened to Taeju, she suddenly swayed. Caught off guard, Taeju steadied her.
"Ah, it's nothing. I just got sleepy all of a sudden..."
"All of a sudden? You were fine a second ago. Do you usually crash at this hour?"
Hanseol shook her head at Taeju's questions.
"No, not really... I'm extra sleepy tonight. Maybe 'cause I'm full and tired?"
Hanseol could barely keep her eyes open now. She seemed unable to fight the sudden drowsiness.
"This isn't like her at all..."
She was drowsy as if drugged, half-asleep already.
"Oh no..."
This was no natural sleep. Taeju knew it was some special method—poison or otherwise.
And in this place, only one person could force Hanseol to sleep.
"Unbelievable."
Taeju hoisted Hanseol onto his back as she nearly dozed off.
That's when he sensed someone behind him. Okbun, who was supposed to be doing dishes, had come outside.
"Did you really have to knock her out like this? You could've just talked to her."
"Words wouldn't work. I know how stubborn she is."
Okbun approached Hanseol and gently stroked her face with a smile.
Seeing Okbun up close, Taeju thought she looked much younger than her aura suggested.
Confirming Hanseol was fully asleep, Okbun turned to Taeju.
"As we discussed earlier, take the child and leave now."
"Too bad. If you'd said that before dinner, it might've worked."
But he'd gauged Hanseol's feelings since. Leaving Okbun behind now was out of the question.
"Anyway, let's set her down and talk. We didn't finish our chat earlier."
Taeju pointed out their unfinished conversation.
"Stalling, are you?"
"No. Trying to convince you. Knocking Hanseol out like this shows you hate being apart from her too, right?"
"No more talk. Leave now."
Okbun's tone was icy, her attitude utterly one-sided.
"The centipede will be here soon. If you don't run, it'll be dangerous."
"Ha, scary threat."
Taeju laughed boldly.
"But we came into the centipede's lair knowing the risks."
Taeju didn't waver under Okbun's warning.
"And you don't want to lay her on the dirt floor either."
Okbun looked exasperated. She couldn't fathom Taeju's calm demeanor despite the imminent danger.
"Why are you so nonchalant?"
Panting slightly, Taeju carried Hanseol to the platform and set her down gently. Catching his breath, he replied.
"For starters, the centipede has no intention of harming Hanseol. You let her go on purpose, didn't you? From the beginning."
Okbun shot back defiantly at Taeju's words.
"The centipede eats people. It's a monster that's devoured countless humans to survive."
"Then it's an expert at eating people. You expect me to believe it let an ordinary little girl slip away?"
"Maybe it was dark at night and it missed her."
"You serious? Just admit you let her go. Why make excuses now?"
Taeju dismissed Okbun's words as nonsense. They were flimsy even to her, so she fell silent.
"The centipede has no plans to harm Hanseol. Or if it wants to, it has the patience to heed your words. Either way, it's not dangerous at all. But you haven't cleared up the misunderstanding. Why not?"
"I have no obligation to answer your questions."
Okbun clammed up rigidly.
"I can guess even without you telling me. You don't want Hanseol living with the spirits. That's the only reason you never taught her about the centipede."
"You talk like you know everything."
"I don't know everything. But I'm not clueless."
The boundary had been upheld without pause since its creation.
It was like pouring water into a leaky jar. The only reason it worked was the centipede's immense power.
But no matter how great, nothing lasts forever.
With no gains, the centipede had hidden itself away, making no effort to replenish its strength, just maintaining this place.
And honestly, by now, the effort wasn't worth eating one person.
So the centipede's goal wasn't to devour Hanseol.
"Simple deduction. And the conclusion? 'The centipede wants to die. Or at least doesn't mind dying, and that's why it's doing this.' Not sure exactly, but your goals seem aligned, so neither of you intends to harm Hanseol."
"So what are you getting at?"
Taeju just smiled at Okbun's question.
"I've decided to take you out too. Attack me if you hate it that much."