The Choice (2)
The Ferryman of the Sun walked through the depths of the forest as if he were taking a leisurely stroll. His footsteps upon the grass made a soft, rustling sound. The Jeongsu flowing through his entire body rippled along his silhouette like noble clouds.
The Ferryman, who seemed to emit a faint, ethereal glow, stopped walking in a part of the forest where the light from where Akasa slept was barely visible in the distance. The surrounding bushes grew as high as a person's waist. It was an area where one would never expect to find a human soul.
But precisely because it was such a place, people were here.
Hyena-like creatures.
“Stop.”
The Ferryman spoke. A gust of wind swept through the leaves and bushes with a rushing sound. Then, something moved, and figures emerged from the shadows of the dark trees and thickets. It was a group of about ten, a mix of men and women. Their eyes and hair were wild, and their arms and legs were coiled with a violence ready to spring at any moment.
One man among them stepped forward.
“Who are you?”
The Ferryman did not answer. Instead, he let the oar slide slightly from his hand, hiding the part that cut through the water as if it were just another branch in the thicket.
The people who had appeared from the forest began to speak, one by one, beside the man who had first opened his mouth.
“Looking at his attire, he’s not from around here.”
“Did he come from another sector?”
“Maybe he’s in cahoots with the ones who made that light.”
“Shut it, shut it. You noisy brats. Who told you to open your mouths while the boss is talking? Do you want me to cut out your tongues so you can never taste meat again?”
At the leader’s words, those who had spoken fell silent instantly. The man shrugged his shoulders and addressed the Ferryman.
“As you can see, I have many mouths to feed. If you’re from another sector, I’ll let you off this once, so get lost. If you’re related to that campfire, hand over anything useful and get out. Then, I’ll at least spare your life.”
The man scrutinized the Ferryman as he spoke. The moon had risen in the east, and the men were positioned where their features were slightly illuminated. However, the Ferryman stood in perfect shade, with a few trees strategically positioned between him and the moon, standing like a shadow. The oar he held, pressed almost flush against his body, was invisible to their eyes.
“You’re carrying a weapon.”
That was the only thing the Ferryman said in response.
“Hah! It’s the item that guarantees our livelihood. Though, in most cases, it guarantees other people’s lives, too. So, are you not going to leave?”
“It is not the deed of an adult to wake a child from a sound sleep. Withdraw. You Exiliers.”
At the Ferryman’s words, the wind at his back rushed in the opposite direction, as if carrying a threat. A slight chill ran down their spines, but the Exiliers were people who had long forgotten how to distinguish a shiver from the savagery they were accustomed to. The man who appeared to be the leader grinned.
“Oh, is there a child? That’s a shame. It would be perfect to catch him and use him as our slave.”
To the Exiliers, who were cackling viciously, the leader gave a sharp nod of his chin.
“Kill that guy, too. He’s wrapped in cloth, so stab him in a way that doesn’t ruin the fabric. The campfire is next. The child is to be captured alive, no matter what.”
The Exiliers’ eyes gleamed with malice as they began to approach, each brandishing a different weapon. Watching them, the Ferryman of the Sun emitted a pale, blue glow from beneath his mask. As the moon shifted and the moonlight slowly illuminated the Ferryman, the Exiliers realized that he was not empty-handed—he held something long.
“This guy! He had a weapon!”
“No, you idiot! Look closely. That’s an oar. How could that be a weapon?”
“You moron! Doesn’t it hurt to get hit by wood?”
“Yaaaaah!”
Amidst the low-level bickering and swearing, one Exilier lunged first. He pulled his hand, which gripped a sword, back over his shoulder and charged straight at the Ferryman.
The Exilier had no doubt that his blade would cleave the wood and slice the Ferryman’s head diagonally. He had spent time sharpening his sword on a whetstone that even his boss couldn’t distinguish, all for this moment. Unfortunately, his thoughts could not continue any further.
A strange, gasping sound erupted from a human throat. The Exiliers did not understand what had happened for a moment. Soon, their gazes turned to the man who had lunged first, now sprawled on the ground as if he had decided to become a shadow.
The man’s abdomen was sunken, and he was wheezing faintly, unable to draw a breath. And in front of him stood the Ferryman, holding the oar with both hands, possessing a calmness they could not comprehend.
The Ferryman’s lips parted.
“The sages say that the moon and stars are reflected equally in the flowing river and the ditch’s stagnant water.”
It was a quiet voice, but it held power. A power that seemed to force those who heard it to listen.
“When it rains, not only the river but even the sea becomes muddied. But conversely, rain also washes the ditch clean. That is the teaching of the one who flows, and the duty that his servants must perform for the world.”
The moment the Ferryman’s emotionless eyes swept over the Exiliers who were still standing, they recalled a chill they had long forgotten.
“Today, clean water shall flow in the ditch.”
The oar swung by the Ferryman of the Sun took on a cold hue, and the intaglio carved into the wood shone vividly. An irresistible force descended upon those filled with violence.
Akasa opened his eyes. It wasn’t because he was cold. The campfire was still burning warmly, and there was plenty of firewood. Akasa, wiggling his body due to an unfamiliar sensation, realized belatedly that he was covered in something.
“This is the Ferryman’s cloak?”
Akasa looked around. The Ferryman was gone, having left the robe with him.
“Ferryman? Ferryman of the Sun?”
He called out a few times, raising his voice. But aside from the sound of the wind, the whispering of the leaves, and the crackling of the campfire, it was silent.
Could there have been a reason for him to leave? Akasa knew something about the Ferryman of the Sun, but he also knew there was a vast difference between hearing things by word of mouth and what actually happened in reality.
“Why would he have left?”
Akasa looked at the sky and realized from the position of the moon that not much time had passed. That meant not long had elapsed since he had fallen asleep.
However, the changes that had occurred in that short time were significant. Feeling a bit anxious, Akasa pushed the robe aside and stood up, thinking he should at least check the immediate surroundings.
“Let’s look around a little. Just a little.”
Akasa thought about wearing the robe, but it was too long for him to move around in. Besides, the night here was a bit warmer than in the desert.
In the end, Akasa just stood up and walked.
If he had left for some business, it wasn’t something Akasa needed to worry about.
But Akasa had one reason to move. The recovery of Urnil.
“I have to find the stones.”
Because of the continuous special circumstances, he had used up all the Jeongsu he had painstakingly collected, and the Karmatio had lost its function once again.
It was a stroke of luck that he had met and been rescued by the Ferryman of the Sun in such a precarious situation. But for Akasa right now, there was no one he could fully trust except for Urnil, who had been part of his father’s plan.
And a moment later, Akasa, having reached the place where the Ferryman of the Sun had docked his boat, couldn’t help but be startled.
The terrain for several meters within his sight, and even a portion of the water reaching the shore, was glowing with a pale, white light.
He had seen it many times, so he could be sure. That was Jeongsu imbued in the terrain. Come to think of it, Urnil had never told him that Jeongsu only resided in stones. But why all of a sudden?
Akasa swallowed hard and moved toward that space. It was the moment Akasa stepped into the area.
[A curious space, this is.]
“Urnil!”
Akasa exclaimed, brightening as he addressed his left arm.
[It’s fine here, but don’t do this when we go to a village, okay?]
“What?”
As Akasa expressed his confusion, Urnil spoke.
[Because if you look at your arm and call out a god’s name, people will treat you like a lunatic.]
“I wouldn’t do that!”
Akasa said, glaring at his arm—or rather, the bracelet. Urnil immediately and smoothly changed the subject.
[Anyway, what is this? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Jeongsu congealed in the terrain itself, not just in natural objects.]
“Have you seen something like this before?”
[A very long time ago. Back when you weren’t even born.]
“Aha….”
For a moment, Akasa said nothing, taking in the changing scenery. As if the large light were fading, the Jeongsu flowed into him through the bracelet.
The light faded completely, and the darkness of night settled in. Urnil said, sounding pleased.
[There’s quite a lot. This is several times more than all the stones you picked up from the riverbed.]
Akasa wasn’t surprised. Even if he had carried stones all day, he felt it would have required quite a lot of them to fill the space that had been overflowing with light just moments ago.
“Anyway, I’m relieved. Truly.”
[What’s with you? Were you worried about me?]
“Of course. You are the only one who has a connection to my father.”
[How thoughtful. But where did the Ferryman go?]
“I don’t know. When I woke up, he wasn’t there. He covered me with his robe before he left…. Did you not see him, Urnil?”
[Me? You just said it yourself. He covered you with a robe. It’s pitch black everywhere, what was I supposed to see?]
At Urnil’s words, a flustered Akasa bowed his head.
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
[I’ve told you it’s better to break that habit. I’m not going to call you disrespectful for it, so please stop. How would I feel if someone traveling with me was called a lunatic?]
“I’m sorry….”
Akasa said in a dejected voice. Urnil spoke to Akasa in a deliberately cheerful tone.
[Anyway, you don’t know either. You just came out to find Jeongsu since you woke up.]
“Yes.”
[Then, let’s go back and finish sleeping. Is it right for a kid who isn’t even in good health to be wandering around without sleeping?]
“Yes. I’ll be careful.”
Feeling much more at ease, Akasa smiled faintly. Akasa, who had returned to sleep, felt his desire to sleep vanish completely.
There, sitting near the fire, was the Ferryman of the Sun, who had returned and settled in.
“You’re back. I was just thinking about going to look for you since I didn’t see you when I returned.”
“Ah, I just had to relieve myself….”
Akasa wasn’t startled just because the Ferryman had appeared out of nowhere. Mixed with the faint, damp smell of earth was the fishy scent of blood. Furthermore, the Ferryman was enveloped in a pale light, like steam. Akasa was afraid to ask what he had been doing. Akasa curled his body into the robe.
Then, he squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to sleep.