Do It Before They Forbid It
It was always better to commit the deed before anyone had the chance to forbid it.
“Phew...”
Thankfully, we managed to get the wagon rolling before the swarm of furious bees could catch up to us.
I nudged Cha Gawol’s shoulder as he leaned back against the wagon wall, exhaling in weary relief. “Good quick thinking back there, huh?”
The more I saw of him, the more I actually liked the guy.
“Right, well... Setting that aside, may I ask you one question?”
Perhaps because the tension had finally drained away, Gawol drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then, he fixed me with a deeply peculiar stare.
“Hm? Go ahead. Don't mind me.”
What could he possibly want to ask?
“Earlier... when you ripped that hive down.”
“Yeah. It was pretty massive, wasn't it?”
“I caught a quick glimpse right before you sealed the entrance with your qi, you see.”
“A glimpse of what?”
“The bees. Specifically... weren’t those hornets? No matter how I looked at them, they were nowhere near honeybee size.”
What? Hey, talk some sense.
“No way. Hornets build their nests underground. That one was hanging high up in a tree.”
I was absolutely positive on this front. No matter how large they were, if they built their home in the boughs of a tree, they were honeybees. Even if a few attention-starved honeybees decided to nest in rocky crevices now and then, who in the world didn’t know that hornets lived underground?
“...Am I wrong?”
“Well...”
At my question, Gawol wore the expression of a man who didn't even know where to begin.
“Unless they happen to be ground hornets or Asian giant hornets, regular hornets build in trees too.”
“Come on, stop pulling my leg.”
“I am not lying.”
His expression was more serious than I’d ever seen it.
“...Seriously?”
In response to my question, he gave a quiet, solemn nod.
“Aaaah...”
I had no idea. But wait a minute—he knew the whole time and kept his mouth shut?
“Hey! You should’ve told me that earlier, then!”
That poor brown bear... At least half of his suffering was this guy's fault.
Gawol hastily defended himself. “I naturally assumed you were just so thoroughly twisted that crushing one of his stones wasn’t enough! Who on earth could have guessed you were genuinely trying to give him honey?!”
Urk.
To think that was what he thought of my character.
Still, what was done was done. Water under the bridge. Sure, if you were desperate enough, you could mop it up with a rag and squeeze it back into the cup, but there was hardly any need to go that far.
“...Well, I did pray he’d be reborn as a female in his next life.”
I’d done my part. Yep.
“............”
Gawol stared at me as if beholding the single most pathetic creature to ever walk the earth.
What now?
“Look, it’s his own fault for bursting out of that cave in the first place. Honestly, he should be thanking his lucky stars I didn’t braise his paws for soup!”
“Did you sell off your conscience at a bargain bin along with your height?”
“What, punk? You're an accomplice too!”
In the first place, he was the one who bolted for the wagon the instant he heard that ominous buzzing.
“Isn't that right, Daeseong?”
Heeehnnn—
“See! Even she says I'm right.”
“Hey, after all the feed I’ve bought you, you ought to take my side!”
Gawol looked genuinely hurt.
“Well... birds of a feather flock together, so a tailless fellow like you ought to back off.”
Mm-hmm. Absolutely.
Then came his sarcastic retort.
“You don’t even bother denying that you're closer to a beast than a human anymore, do you?”
“Hey! Are you calling Daeseong a beast?!”
“Yes.”
Ugh... uncompromising bastard.
In times like this, changing the subject was the best move.
“A-anyway! Forget about the bear. When are we reaching that river?”
You said we had to head there first, after all.
“You’ve already eaten, haven't you? Since when did you care about our destination?”
“Hey, do I look like some gluttonous parasite who only has food on the brai—”
“Yes.”
He didn't even wait for me to finish.
“—n? See, you said yes!”
Reverse psychology, suck it!
“You really are quite as unsightly as you look.”
“That's—”
“And childish.”
“...I’ll just shut up.”
“Much obliged.”
Ruuuumble— Roaaaar—
Before long, the heavy rush of surging water echoed from not too far off, signaling a running stream nearby.
“Fi-finally, the river...!”
“Well, it’s closer to a brook feeding into it than an actual river.”
“Would it kill you not to sour the mood?”
“I don’t even have vinegar to sour... actually, wait, I do.”
With that, Gawol cast a glance toward the grocery crate.
Why was he looking at that now?
“So, it’s getting dark. Are we sleeping here tonight?”
“If you wish. Provided you’re keen on nocturnal game paying us a visit when they come down for a drink.”
Ah, was that what he was worried about? Worrying really is his second nature.
I puffed out my chest and gave it a hearty thump. “Don't you worry. I won't let any ordinary beast within ten paces of us.”
“What, are you planning to mark your territory?”
“Yeah, mark our—wait, no! Am I a dog?!”
“Ye... No. That would be an insult to dogs.”
This bastard had felt distinctly frostier ever since that nut-cracking incident earlier. At this rate, he was going to find fault with literally every word that came out of my mouth.
Urgh...
What should I do? There had to be some way to score a few points with him...
Oh, right! That’s it!
Once more, I puffed out my chest and looked up at Gawol with the most confident expression I could manage.
“Hey, want me to catch us some fish?”
“Pardon? Fish, all of a sudden?”
“Yeah. We haven’t had a single bite of fish since we hit the road. A balanced diet is good for the constitution, you know.”
Right?
“Hmm...”
Gawol seemed to ponder it for a moment before finally delivering his verdict. “Fish, is it? Well, very well then.”
Alright!
“Awesome! Just wait right there. I’ll go right—”
Snatch—
Just as I was about to dive straight into the water, Gawol caught me by the collar.
“Now what?”
“Hold on. Steel rusts, so leave your blade behind. Instead...”
“Instead?”
Shhhk—
From among the wooden poles propped up in the back of the wagon, he pulled out a long length of bamboo with its tip shaved into a sharp point.
“Nothing beats a bamboo spear for river fishing, after all.”
“...Whoa. Look at you, knowing your stuff.”
Since when had he been toting something like this around?
“And,” he added, slipping out of his outer coat and hitching up the hems of his trousers, “I’m coming with you.”
“Huh, really? What for?”
I could easily handle it alone.
“I have this terrible feeling that if left to your own devices, you'll start tearing into raw fish with your bare teeth. And besides... there’s something I need to look for while we’re at it.”
Well, I had no real reason to refuse. The more hands, the better.
“Coming along is fine by me, but what are you looking for?”
My curiosity was piqued.
“...Nothing major. Just a tree. A Chinaberry tree.”
“Chinaberry? Wait, bead tree?”
Hey.
“Don’t tell me those ‘beads’ are...”
My gaze drifted down from the two marble-like orbs on Gawol’s face... straight down toward his groin.
“Oh, come on! I told you, it’s nothing like that!”
“Tsk. Fine, if you say so.”
If it wasn't, it wasn't—why get so angry about it? Truly an unfathomable guy.
Fwwwhhh—!
SPLASH!
“Phew... That makes thirteen.”
It had been thirty minutes since I began casting my signature technique: Hurl bamboo spear with qi to whip up a miniature geyser. By now, the wicker basket was brimming with a bountiful catch.
Trailing behind me to scoop up the stunned floaters, Gawol muttered under his breath, “Somehow... this feels leagues apart from any river fishing I’ve ever envisioned...”
“Hm?”
“No, just... you’re very good at it.”
Ah, was that a compliment?
Heheh.
“I do have my charms.”
With the pleasantries out of the way, Gawol got straight to the point. “Look, catching this much puts you on par with a grizzly bear, but... is there a particular reason you’re exclusively going after this one kind of fish?”
“Ah~ that?”
Just as Gawol noted, the basket held only flat, speckled fish with distinctive stripes across their fins.
“Well... it looks almost identical to a fish I know, and it tastes incredible. Good in a stew... amazing grilled...”
It looked just like the Spotted Barbel from my past life, and the more I examined them, the more certain I became. Back then, it was a designated natural monument and an endangered species, so I couldn't even dream of catching one to eat, but in this world, no such protection existed.
Even if the Central Peninsula’s local magnates managed their territories autonomously, there was no telling when some conservation decree might be enacted. A delicacy like this had to be enjoyed while the getting was good!
“The meat is wonderfully tender yet delightfully chewy. I’ve even eaten it practically raw with just a kiss of heat...”
Honestly, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it the single most delicious freshwater fish I’d ever tasted. It had a clean, light flavor without being dry, possessing both silkiness and a firm bite. If compared to ocean catch, it fell somewhere between sea bream and rockfish.
“Anyway, it’s ridiculously good.”
“Is that so? Haaah... In that case, the reasons for finding that tree are only multiplying.”
That tree... the Chinaberry.
“Why have you been searching for that tree since earlier, anyway?”
It was a season when most trees hadn't even budded yet. Vegetation would hardly make for good foraging right now.
“Hmm...” Gawol dipped the basket halfway back into the shallows to keep the fish fresh before continuing, “I’ll explain once we actually find it.”
So secretive.
“Fiiine... Then wouldn't it be faster if you at least told me what it looks like?”
We’d already caught more than enough fish to fill our bellies. We had time to spare.
“It’s a bit difficult to describe.”
“Try me anyway.”
“Well... First, the branches droop.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And it’s covered in dense clusters of small, thin leaves, rather like cherry blossoms.”
“Mhm... and that’s all?”
“Yes. Ah, not in appearance, but it gives off a scent that insects detest. Similar to spicebush or Korean pepper...”
What the heck? Why didn't you lead with that crucial detail?!
“Then we can just track it by smell! Do you happen to have a twig or something on hand?”
“There’s some back at the wagon.”
“Then let's head back first.”
We’d done all we needed to do here.
“Will this much fish truly be enough for you?”
“...I don't eat that much.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“............”
Returning to the wagon, we anchored the basket in a nearby shallow brook to keep the catch fresh, then set about tracking down the tree.
Gawol fetched a small brown pouch and held it up to my nose.
Sniff, sniff.
“Ugh—smells like medicinal herbs.”
Wait, wasn't this just the smell of mosquito coils?
Seeing my disgusted grimace, Gawol offered an explanation with a smug curl of his lips. “Because it is medicine. Furthermore, this was originally hung from the wagon roof to serve as insect repellent. Well... as you can smell for yourself, its potency remains quite intact.”
“Then why go out of your way to find more?”
“Fresh bark is always superior, and I have a separate use for it besides.”
“Is that so...?”
Hmm, I was curious what he intended to use it for, but finding the tree came first.
Inhale—
Closing my eyes, I drew in a deep breath to focus my senses.
The petrichor born of actinobacteria dwelling in soil and water. The fresh tang of grass riding the breeze... some foul stench... and...
“Ah, there it is.”
“Pardon? Already?”
“Hehehe...”
It was only natural for Gawol to be stunned. After all, the scent was coming from right under our noses.
“Hey, look behind the wagon. Isn't that it?”
Right beside Daeseong, who was currently occupied with answering nature's call, stood a crooked, scruffy tree.
“Ummm... Ah, that actually appears to be it.”
Gawol jogged over to inspect it closely before giving a nod of confirmation. “Could you fetch the dagger from the wagon for me?”
“Ah, sure thing!”
Clatter—
Hopping up into the wagon, I rummaged through the kitchen utensils and found a small blade—longer than a finger, but far smaller than my Jangdo.
“Isn’t this a bit too dinky to even call a dagger?”
I’d have to teach him how to pick out a proper blade later.
At any rate, I brought the knife over to Gawol, who immediately plunged the edge into the trunk and drew it down.
Scritch—
Crack!
“Phew... That will do. It was the bark I needed.”
“Just the bark?”
“Yes. Typically, only the bark and fruit are used. Now then, fetch the basket and follow me.”
“Ah, right!”
Alright, dinnertime at last!
“And once you've finished dinner, you are to drink a cup of tea. After that, one cup every six hours until tomorrow evening. You have a sturdy constitution, so that dosage should cause no harm.”
A sudden, icy shiver crept down the back of my neck.
“Tea? What tea...?”
Drink tea? I hadn’t seen anything resembling tea leaves in the wagon.
A distinctly dreadful premonition took hold.
“...Don't tell me, that?”
Gawol nodded as if baffled that I even needed to ask. “What else could it possibly be? I believe I mentioned it in passing a few days ago. Chinaberry bark... Goryeonpi.”
“Ahaaa...”
So that was what this was? When he mentioned ryeonpi, I honestly thought it had something to do with lotuses.
“I hate that stuff. It smells like mosquito repellent.”
“I have no earthly idea what 'mosquito repellent' is, but you will drink it quietly. If you've been eating freshwater fish practically raw, heaven only knows how many parasites are nesting inside you.”
It was the most unyielding tone I had ever heard from him. If I refused to drink it, I had a sneaking suspicion he would pour it straight down my nostrils while I slept.
“Uwaaagh...”
It seemed I was hopelessly doomed to choke down tea that reeked of mosquito incense.