Etranger Chapter 112

[Anything you didn't tell me?] 

[Not really…]

[Yeah…? Alright. If you say so.] 

Biyeon leaned her head on his shoulder. The wind was warm. She raised her hand and rubbed her eyes. All kinds of wildlife ran around in the spring sun. The green forest and land were filled with warmth. She thought that the green earth, spreading vigorously in all directions, looked dazzling.

***

“What is this?” 

“It's an herbal medicine.”

“What herbs?” 

“It's good for you.”

“What?”

“Just eat it. In order to cook it, you have to… anyway, I'll leave it here.”

“What do you want?”

“I want to go, too,” Yuren, the previous 1st company commander, said, scratching his head.

“Why?”

“I want to see the world. You'll need me.”

“It'll be difficult and dangerous though?”

“I think I've improved my skills to the point that I won't be a burden.”

“Won't you regret it?”

“If I don't go, I'll regret it even more.”

“Get your things then.” 

“Thank you.”

“I heard that Yuren is going with you?” Raron, the previous 3rd company commander, said as he stood gasping for breath.

“So?”

“I don't want to be discriminated against.”

“Do you even know how to fight?”

“I've improved. Plus, I can conduct business much better than Yuren can. I want to swim in deeper waters.”

“We're leaving in three days. Organize your things.” 

“Thank you.”

“Somehow, yesterday's warriors and travelers are uniting once again,” San said as he laughed out loud. In front of him, more than ten people were looking at him with their eyes wide open in anticipation.

The familiar faces of the bards and merchants were also present. Yekin, who had entered into the late stages as a Dark Warrior, was also checking his sword and waiting for his turn to speak. Yeria also volunteered, arguing that she was Biyeon's faithful assistant. She started gathering her stuff before even receiving an answer.

The past crew members were people who experienced a new world with the two for nearly six months. They had already built trust in each other by covering each other's backs and fiercely solving problems together to survive. As San had foretold, this form of deep-bond was like a drug that was difficult to stop. A new adventure. A new world. Hope for a new life. They weren't going to be blocked just because someone stopped them.

What changed since then? They were now very strong, mentally and physically. They often surprised themselves. They wanted another opportunity to rewrite their fate.

They would leave their own story and mark on this world. To their sons and grandsons, their daughters and granddaughters…

“Sedum will be quite busy…” Biyeon muttered.

“Why are they deciding to leave now…?”

San looked towards the four young people who were from the Dong-Myung and Ki-Jang Clan. They were entering their carriages, a little distance behind Gun and Rain's carriage.

Episode 3. Book 2: Search – Chapter 1

Spring. It was quite a hot morning.

The rain fell during the night, but in the morning, the sky opened up dazzlingly. Raindrops on the leaves were reflected in the sunlight and shone like jewels.

Nature!

In front, a dazzlingly clear scene unfolded under a blue sky. There was no dust in the air.

On their right, huge Orom mountains ran parallel to them like a folding screen and extended beyond the horizon. The mountain range seemed to extend as far as the eye could see. On the left, a plateau named 'Thousand Hills' spread out, and beyond that, a desert area extended even farther away. Unfortunately, the desert wasn't visible from where they were.

In front, they could see the tops of huge rocky mountains, thousands of meters high, with white snow caps and glaciers sparkling in the sunlight.

A winding road passed through the valleys amongst the Orom mountain range. The road led to the places where people lived. The road was the lifeline that connected all humans together. Along one of these roads, a procession was moving at a leisurely pace.

The procession was comprised of two small carriages and about fifteen people on horseback. Their cargo was too small to call them merchants, and the color of the procession was too elegant and bright to be called mercenaries. Also, there was no strict moderation in their movements and actions to be called warriors. However, they were too light and modest to be seen as nobles…

“How many days has it been?”

The man leading the party from the front asked a colleague next to him.

“Twenty-eight days,” the colleague replied.

“How many days left?”

“We still have two more months to go. Why? Is there a problem?”

“I made a bet with Yuren.”

“What are you betting on?”

“I bet 1 Tongbo that their attitude would change during our trip,” Yekin said as he glanced behind him. There, Gun was following the procession with his eyes half-closed.

“Is the bet until we arrive in Prigojin (the capital)?” Raron opened his eyes in surprise and asked.

“Yeah. What do you think? Do you want to get in on the bet?”

“Hmm-”

Raron blinked his eyes and fell into thought. Like a merchant, he had to deeply consider his risk versus benefit.

“I will bet 1 Tongbo that nothing will change.”

“Yeah? Why do you think so?”

“I don't know, but the Imperial family members are people from a completely different world. It won't work this time. Besides, this is a trip without trials, right?”

“Hmm… it's tight.”

“What's tight?”

“It's 6 to 7. This means everyone's excitedly looking forward to what happens.”

“Well, I'm not really confident in my bet. No one thought we would volunteer for this type of adventure just two years ago, right? In fact, I'm very curious about what Captain San and Biyeon think will happen to those imperial people,” Raron said as he glanced back.

***

“I'll kill them all! These sons of bitches… Once we reach the palace…”

Gun was gritting his teeth while looking ahead. His eyes were bloodshot.

He was not treated well at all. He may have tolerated not being treated as a noble if it ended there. In his dusty hands, he held a dried jerky and tacky bread purchased from a small noble estate where the procession stopped three days ago. The bread and jerky were so hard that his teeth hurt from chewing and gnawing on the 'food'. Gun continued to squeeze his jaw and angrily chew on the salty jerky. All kinds of thoughts flew through his head. In his general delirium, he seemed to be having a conversation with himself...

“I need to work to get food!?! Do they know who they're speaking to?!”

“Don't… don't these people know where we're going? Aren't they afraid of what will happen once we arrive at the Imperial Palace?”

“Is it their plan to kill me on the way to the palace?”

“But… it does seem entertaining… the way they play around…”

“I can't join them as an imperial family member… that's too beneath me.”

“Damn…” 

“…” 

“I'm so hungry…”

***

Rain was sitting in the carriage and looking outside.

Now, in the early summer weather, she felt very sleepy in the mornings, especially with an empty stomach. However, right now, she had a small smile. The meals were very satisfying. She didn't know that cooking and eating outdoors would be so fun and delicious. The side dishes were spicy and had a strange smell. They were also slightly salty, but she adapted to the taste and was now eagerly awaiting each meal.

Whenever mealtime rolled near, she'd start salivating. Even the elongated and weird food called 'noodles', which she saw for the first time, had an unusually good flavor and mouthfeel. At first, the shape and smell of their food were strange, so she was scared, but now, she eagerly awaited each meal.

'They said it was fermented food, right? It's easy to store and eaten in small quantities so that there's no waste. Every item of food has a clear meaning and purpose…'

The vibration from the wagon's rattling wheels made one naturally want to sleep. She tilted her head a little to the side, held her chin up, and narrowly opened her eyes. She swiped her loose hair back, which had been scattered by the wind. The sunlight fell on her cheeks, making them slightly itchy. The air was warm, and the wind was fresh… her eyes seemed to want to close by themselves…

“Huh…”

Her hand that was holding up her chin slipped off. Rain suddenly opened her eyes with a sense of fright. It was difficult to focus her eyes. Her palms were slightly sticky.

'Oops… I must have drooled on myself. How undignified I must look!' She was so surprised that she started looking around. 

Biyeon, sitting next to her, put a hard bundle of paper on her knees, wrote something down, and looked outside the carriage. There was a modest dignity in her appearance.

Rain turned her gaze outward. The scenery had changed a lot. It wasn't that long, but she thought she slept deeply. An awkward smile hung around her mouth. She started rubbing her eyes.

'It's so comfortable. When was there a time when my heart was so light and full of life? This feeling of liberation without feeling threatened… freedom… and not burdened from the gaze of others…'

All of a sudden, she glanced back at Biyeon. Now, she was a little used to this image.

Was there anyone who could act so proud and carefree? Although Biyeon was also a woman, she was completely different from the noblewomen Rain knew. What was so different?

Biyeon was pretty, but by Rain's standards, Biyeon was only a bit better than average. Her eyes, nose, and mouth were just normal. However, putting every part together made the person change completely. The individual parts combined in a surprisingly attractive way.

If one took a step back, everything suddenly merged together and came alive as one. That wasn't all. The aesthetics of her movement and her body's lines… Rain couldn't think of anyone she could compare Biyeon to. 

Biyeon's movements instantly pulled in one's eyes. The grace that her body naturally exuded flowed through their shared space and affected everyone who could glance upon it. Rain named this quality 'liveness'. It was a different dimension of attractiveness and alluring quality than what she'd ever felt before. So, whenever Biyeon moved, Rain held her breath. Unstoppable freedom… and excitement. She was a woman just like her, but Rain felt jealous.

'Yes, anyways that's that, but…'

Rain sighed. To be honest, she still didn't know what to make of this woman. She still hadn't been able to organize her attitude towards Biyeon.

Rain had already made the greatest concessions. Actually, it was really uncomfortable for her. Being together with this woman was enough to make her think she was constantly sitting atop a nasty cushion of thorns…

Chapter end