Ep.61

Ep.61

Oh, my. You’re all working so hard."

The county governor flashed such a bright smile that the gold tooth implanted in his molar glinted visibly.

Sihyeon and Lee Sumin stood there awkwardly for a moment before shaking hands with the governor one after the other.

"Elderly gentleman."

When the governor acknowledged Old Man Jeong, who was pressing arrowroot juice, Old Man Jeong simply nodded with an expressionless face; it seemed they already knew each other.

With a satisfied look on his face, the governor stood next to Nurse Saetbyeol and nodded toward a certain direction.

"Alright, smile."

"??"

A few local newspaper reporters snapped photos with their flashes bursting.

Saetbyeol looked visibly flustered but managed to force a smile.

Lee Sumin muttered. "What the... Just taking photos out of nowhere. Without even asking."

The governor naturally picked up the iced arrowroot juice sitting on the table and began to chug it down. It was actually being packed for a customer who had arrived earlier.

"Excuse me, that's...?"

A look of sheer absurdity flashed across Nurse Saetbyeol’s brow.

"……Just a moment."

The governor waved his hand, drank the iced arrowroot juice to the last drop, 

and exclaimed loudly.

"Whew. This is fantastic! How many of us are there?"

The aide next to him replied in a small voice.

"There are about twenty of us."

"Twenty? Then, pack twenty of these for us."

"Excuse me, Governor! There are customers waiting ahead of you."

Ignoring her completely, the governor crunched on the ice and began to walk away.

"Just give them to my aide."

"……Pardon??"

Nurse Saetbyeol’s expression turned utterly perplexed. The governor started moving around, claiming he was going to take photos with the crowding public. Just then, the governor's wife quietly approached Nurse Saetbyeol, holding a child's hand, and spoke to her.

"Please serve them in order. We don't mind waiting."

"Oh, my. Thank you so much for understanding!"

"Of course. The governor is just a bit frantic right now, so please don't misunderstand."

"Oh, absolutely not!"

The child, who looked to be about ten years old, seemed fascinated by the arrowroot placed on the table, poking it a few times before being stopped by the wife. As the two walked away, Lee Sumin muttered.

"Just like I heard. The governor, I mean. They said he's the type who only listens to himself."

"That almost got really awkward."

Sihyeon quickly placed the freshly made drinks onto the table. The waiting customers rushed forward and picked up their beverages.

"I'll fold the paper carriers and fill the ice."

"Yes. That would be plenty."

The three of them worked in perfect harmony.

Nurse Saetbyeol glared in the direction the governor had gone, pouting her lips every now and then. Judging by her expression, she seemed to be cursing him out in her head, but Lee Sumin, the veterinarian, seemed accustomed to this side of Saetbyeol. After all, there must have been plenty of difficult patients—and owners—at the clinic.

Sihyeon let out a bitter smile as he thought about the arrogant governor. A person completely devoid of the concept of 'courtesy' or 'asking for a favor.' It was a classic trait of those born and raised in a clumsy, superficial privileged class. He had seen many people like that maintain such an attitude, only to vanish in the blink of an eye.

Then again, since this place had neither poison nor assassins, things might turn out differently than back then. Or perhaps, since social ruin is possible here, it might actually be more brutal. Lee Sumin must have been thinking along the same lines, as he said in passing:

"If something like that gets posted on social media, he'll be in big trouble."

"……."

The moment Sihyeon's eyes followed the retreating figures of the wife and child, Saetbyeol's cheerful voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Welcome!"

"Two iced arrowroot juices here, please!"

"Thank you! Have a wonderful time at the festival!"

Saetbyeol beamed instantly.

Sihyeon couldn't help but admire her professionalism.

As 4 o'clock passed, sell-outs began happening here and there. Fortunately, food trucks lined the riverbank, and full-bellied tourists moved in small groups toward the riverside park. The river breeze was refreshing, and the scenery along the river at sunset was beautiful.

"Let's pack up too," Lee Sumin said in a exhausted voice.

"Saetbyeol, you should head out early. You worked hard today."

"Ah. Then I'll head out first. Good work today, Director. You too, Sihyeon."

Sihyeon handed over a packed paper bag.

"The village chief gave this to me earlier. Said to give it to you, Saetbyeol."

"Thank you."

"Don't come out tomorrow; take a break. I heard the clinic is closed tomorrow anyway."

Lee Sumin said, patting his legs.

"Yeah. Saetbyeol, play with Heemang tomorrow."

"Yes. We're planning to look around tomorrow too. They have soap and bracelet-making experiences over there. They even do drawings on cups and things. I think Heemang will love it."

As Saetbyeol left the area, Lee Sumin muttered,

"Raising a child alone is no easy feat. On top of that, she even does volunteer work. It's a relief Saetbyeol is so sharp and level-headed."

Sihyeon nodded. Although he didn't know the full story, Saetbyeol was raising a child who was in elementary school by herself. He had run into her once at the market day, and the child was a very adorable little girl with long hair braided into pigtails.

"Heemang is such a good daughter. She does everything well on her own so she won't burden her mom."

"She’s still so young, though……."

"I know. She’s at an age where she should be throwing tantrums, so it’s heartbreaking. But then again, everyone has their own circumstances. I suppose it’s a relief, but still……."

The two wrapped up the stall while sharing small talk. Old Man Jeong was over at the wild greens section where the village chief was, drinking makgeolli with the other elders.

"Still, we sold a lot more than I expected."

"I found it delicious too. I always knew it was good for the body, but having it this way makes it feel less like medicine and more like a light, easy drink, which is great."

"I think that's the charm of tea."

Lee Sumin nodded.

"I used to only drink coffee. But after trying the tea you gave me, I found it quite nice. It's caffeine-free, yet it still gives a bit of an awakening effect."

"Herbs have been used as medicine in Europe for thousands of years, after all. They have medicinal properties in their own right."

"True. Personally, I like tart flavors."

"I tried adding some peppermint to green tangerine syrup—would you like a bottle?"

"Just give me a little bit for now. If it suits my taste, I'll buy it."

Sihyeon laughed.

"How much are you going to pay me?"

"A delicious meal. I found an incredible grilled eel place about thirty minutes away. I'll even throw in a pickup service."

"Sounds great."

With the two of them working together, packing up was finished in no time. Since the tent would be used again tomorrow, they just had to stack things neatly. The two said goodbye to the village chief and the elders, then headed toward the stalls where the workshops were gathered.

"The soap is all gone?"

"Ah, I was curious about that. The handmade soap."

"It’s run by the monastery's soap factory. Didn't you see it there?"

"I was in charge of the herb house, so I never really got a proper look."

"Ah. Maybe I should learn how to make it tomorrow. My nephew has atopic dermatitis, so he uses handmade soap. It's quite expensive."

In the new world, there were many new illnesses. Although genetics played a big part, the environmental impact was also significant. Lee Sumin muttered:

"He scratches himself all day long, it breaks my heart to watch. It tears you apart when kids are sick."

*He’s a good person.* Then again, one could already tell just by how he treated animals. When Sihyeon asked how Hodu was doing, Lee Sumin laughed heartily and boasted that they had gotten quite close. It seemed he wasn't getting bitten these days.

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[ SOLD OUT ]

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When they reached the terrarium stall, a paper sign was put up.

One of the Pureure employees, who was eating a hot dog, spotted Sihyeon.

"Sihyeon! Would you like a hot dog?"

"I'd love one if you have extra. The hot dogs ran out earlier, so we couldn't get any."

"We swept up the very last ones. The salad bread is really delicious too."

Sihyeon handed the hot dog drizzled with disposable packet ketchup to Lee Sumin and picked up a piece of salad bread. Lee Sumin devoured the hot dog with a look of pure bliss.

"Wow. But wait, you're completely sold out?"

"We sold a hundred units."

Sihyeon’s eyes widened.

"Really? How?"

"Yes. We even sold out all the inventory we had stacked up to sell tomorrow. Right now, Team Leader Hosu is on the phone about the glass bottles."

"How did you manage to make all one hundred? You all worked so incredibly hard."

The corners of Sihyeon’s eyes drooped with sympathy.

The Pureure employees waved their hands, saying it was fine.

"Oh, come on, it's nothing. It wasn't so bad using our hands instead of our brains for once. We got to eat tons of delicious food, too. Plus, the village chief gave us a cash bonus."

Another employee nodded and added:

"I think the charm of terrariums definitely lies in their small size. The price is reasonable, and the figurines are cute."

"What's this one??"

"…The wild boar wasn't very popular, so we set it aside."

"……."

*Tsk.* Kkamangi is working so hard to protect the village.

How disappointing. Truly disappointing.

"Sihyeon!"

Hosu joined them after finishing his phone call.

"Let's go. To watch the fireworks."

 *    *      * The Pureure employees headed off toward the food trucks, insisting they absolutely had to eat 'Philly cheesesteaks.' When Sihyeon asked if they were really that delicious, Hosu’s reaction was lukewarm.

"I tried them when I went to Philadelphia, but personally, I think Bulgogi burgers taste better."

"Still, I'm curious. I want to try a kebab too."

"You know, looking at you, you seem kind of obsessed with things you haven't tried before."

*Snort.*

He couldn't exactly deny it. But today was a cheat day, for goodness' sake!!

"…It's called having an adventurous spirit."

"True! What is life anyway? If you eat delicious food and feel happy, that's not a bad thing at all."

Lee Sumin, who had been listening to their conversation, agreed.

"I concur. It's the easiest kind of happiness you can experience."

"Right?"

The two of them got along remarkably well.

Sihyeon looked up at the darkening sky.

*Fwoosh—!*

In an instant, goosebumps broke out all over his skin.

*Bang!*

*Bang! Bang!*

Without warning, the fireworks display began.

Colorful fireworks bloomed over the river water with precise intervals.

"Wow……."

Sihyeon’s pupils dilated.

It was a sudden memory.

Theophilo was standing in an endlessly sprawling field of reeds.

A heavy brown robe and a cloudy sky. This was the northern plain, where the final battle was being fought against the Roman legions led directly by the Legatus.

There was nothing around them.

The smell of burning filled the air. Everywhere the Roman soldiers went, they plundered and set fires.

Watching the black smoke billow into the sky, Theophilo tightly pursed his lips.

This was the only way to stop the enemy, who were sweeping down from the north with unstoppable momentum. Theophilo nodded to a few druids who were with him. One of them was Senior Millie. Her role was to activate the traps made of ancient symbols.

They dashed off in all directions, their figures hidden by the thicket of reeds.

Now, Theophilo had to carry out his assigned duty.

Suppressing an instinctive wave of revulsion, he began to gather natural energy.

*Whoosh—.*

Winds of natural energy gathered around Theophilo.

While the spot where he stood remained as calm as the eye of a storm, a gale began to blow outside so fiercely that one could barely stand upright.

From beyond the hill, a buccina made of water buffalo horn let out a long, low *bray*. Thousands of Roman soldiers began charging toward Theophilo.

For a brief moment, Theophilo was caught in a fierce conflict. *Is this really the only way? What if I use a wide-range binding spell instead? What if I raise hills in the path of their advance? No. What use would it be just to slow them down!!*

He had to admit it.

There really was no other way.

The words of his master echoed in his ears.

'You are the only one who can pull this off, Theophilo.'

Theophilo steeled his wavering heart and focused his mind once more.

To harness the power of the earth, he had to maintain absolute focus.

From afar, the sound of Millie's traps breaking one by one could be heard. The wind blowing around Theophilo grew increasingly violent.

*Rumble—.*

*Thud. Thud.*

An ominous sound began to rise from deep beneath the ground.

As Theophilo's pupils turned a vivid blue, veins began popping out across his entire body.

The natural energy exploded.

Earthquake with anger.

At that exact moment, the fracturing began.

*Craaack—!*

The ground split wide open, swallowing the advancing Roman army whole.

"Ugh!"

"What's wrong? Sihyeon!"

Hosu noticed that something was amiss with Sihyeon.

"……*Gasp*. Just a moment."

Sihyeon gasped for air, desperately trying to snap out of it. Lee Sumin firmly held onto the staggering Sihyeon. The veterinarian's sharp gaze swept over Sihyeon's pale face.

"Take a deep breath. Quickly."

"……I'm okay."

As he breathed in slowly just as Lee Sumin instructed, he could feel his frantically pounding heart gradually returning to its normal pace.

*Fwoosh—!*

*Bang! Bang!*

Before he knew it, the fireworks show was drawing to a close.