Chapter 115

Da-eun looked around the room.

“It’s spacious…”

The guest room that Justina provided for Da-eun was quite large. The headboard of the wooden bed had a glossy shine. When Da-eun touched it, she could feel the smooth texture of the wood.

‘Isn’t this what they call a patina from frequent use?’

Da-eun thought to herself while stroking the headboard. She considered that anything would end up this way after long use, but wooden furniture seemed to acquire a patina more readily. The glossy, faded bed that Da-eun was touching was proof that many hands had touched it over a long time.

Someone who valued cleanliness or preferred new things might have been horrified and run away. But at least Da-eun wasn’t that type of person.

If she had to choose, Da-eun found this kind of furniture more endearing.

“It has a charm. It feels kind of serene.”

Living in a country house with a yard, sitting on a worn-out rocking chair, and looking outside. Short grass swaying in the wind, and the occasional chirping of birds acting as raindrops that gently soften a desolate heart.

That was the kind of peaceful life Da-eun wished for.

If you asked people in Korea walking down the street, “What kind of house do you want to live in?” probably about half would give an answer similar to Da-eun’s.

To those who were used to living in apartments, the life depicted in country houses from movies, dramas, and comics they had seen since childhood was enough to form a dream.

According to those who had actually lived in such homes, maintaining a yard and other facilities was tough, and it was impossible to live there if you were scared of insects. But despite that, a country house remained an ideal for many.

Though the room Da-eun was currently in wasn’t exactly that type of country house, the traces of time left on the furniture and throughout the room matched her taste perfectly.

It wasn’t flashy, but it was a room carefully prepared for any guest who might stay.

“Look at this.”

Da-eun brushed her finger along the furniture. Her finger, which she held up for emphasis, remained spotless and pristine, with not a speck of dust on it.

“They could’ve just left it if they knew no guests would be coming, but seeing how clean it is, I guess they’ve been maintaining it regularly.”

Was it a belief that they might someday return to normalcy?

As Da-eun chatted with her viewers, she continued to explore the room.

Knock, knock.

“Yes! Just a moment!”

Bang!

When Da-eun opened the door after hearing the knock, she was greeted by a man with a stern expression.

“…I heard you requested a tour of the village.”

“Oh, right! Are you…?”

“…”

The man nodded silently.

‘He’s a quiet type.’

Even with just a brief exchange, Da-eun could easily guess his personality. But being reserved didn’t mean he was rude.

Even though it had been a long time… or perhaps it was his first time meeting a human, he showed no signs of awkwardness or curiosity. He simply carried out his duty, as if to say he was just doing his job.

“Are we leaving now?”

“…Whenever you’re ready.”

“Ah, I see… then, let’s go now.”

Still, it was a bit uncomfortable.

Da-eun’s personality meant she found it easier to be around talkative people rather than quiet ones, so she subtly tried to read the man’s mood.

Why wasn’t it like this when she got to know Kana?

‘It’s different making friends with a child than with an adult.’

No matter how mature she pretended to be, Kana still had that childlike quality.

Moreover, with their different genders and the lack of any shared experiences, Da-eun couldn’t help but be more cautious.

Following the man out of the room, Da-eun went around knocking on the rooms of her companions.

“Celine! We’re going to tour the village, would you like to join us?”

“Kana, do you want to come along for a village tour?”

After knocking on the doors, it wasn’t long before a blonde woman opened her door and stepped out.

“A village tour?”

“Yes. Even villages within the same country have different lifestyles depending on their location. Since we’ve crossed the sea, don’t you think it’ll be quite different from the villages we saw on the Ardina Continent? I find that sort of thing interesting.”

“I think I understand what you mean. Now that you mention it, I find it interesting too.”

Celine nodded and joined the group. Only one person was left now.

The practical leader of the party, the fighter, the mascot, and the stress-reliever…

‘Huh? Did Kana have this many roles…?’

Thinking about Kana, Da-eun tilted her head, feeling puzzled. Even the travel expenses mostly came out of Kana’s wallet, so she’d been relieved of her role as the sponsor too.

‘If this were a group project, wouldn’t this be enough for my name to be left out?’

Even as she thought, ‘I’m not that bad, am I?’ a strange sense of unease made it hard for Da-eun to say it confidently.

But why is she taking so long?

Knock, knock.

“Kana~?”

She called out again in a sweet voice, but the pink-haired girl did not appear, and there was no sound coming from beyond the door.

“Why isn’t she responding?”

“Maybe she’s sleeping?” Celine suggested as Da-eun looked puzzled.

“…Already?”

It hadn’t even been twenty minutes since she went in, right?

“Kids need a lot of sleep.”

“She wouldn’t like it if she heard you say that.”

“Fufu.”

Ignoring the cheeky-sounding laughter, Da-eun knocked on the door again. After a few more knocks, the door finally creaked open, and pink hair peeked out from the gap.

“…What?”

“Were you sleeping?”

“No.”

She says no, but her hair is all flattened.

Hmm… should I point it out or not?

Seeing her pink hair pressed down like a small, cute animal, Da-eun decided not to mention it.

Because it was cuter that way.

“Really? Well, we’re planning to go explore the village. Want to join us, Kana?”

“Village tour? No, thanks.”

“Why? You seemed interested earlier.”

“That was then, this is now.”

Kana replied coolly, indicating that she’d changed her mind. They say a woman’s heart is like a reed.



To Da-eun, a child’s heart was like a field of reeds.

A field of reeds in a strong wind, to be precise.

So it wasn’t particularly strange if her feelings changed suddenly.

“Hmm…?”

Looking at Kana’s oddly sulky expression, Da-eun realized that it wasn’t just a simple case of her changing her mind.

“Wait, are you still sulking?”

“…”

Kana, who had partially emerged, retreated a bit more behind the door. Now, only one eye peered out at Da-eun through the gap.

She didn’t say anything, but her actions spoke volumes.

Celine spoke up in an exasperated tone.

“I told you, it was just a joke…”

The whole situation had started with a comment from Da-eun.

“Kana, since you’ve gotten more used to that ability, shouldn’t you start speaking in Arkish now?”

Until then, Da-eun had been translating for Kana out of necessity due to the language barrier.

Now that Kana had learned a new ability, she could communicate directly with Celine, making Da-eun think it was no longer necessary for her to act as a translator.

When speaking in Granic, Kana’s words could reach Celine, but Da-eun’s words could not. They could understand each other through interpretation, but naturally, a delay occurred.

After hearing Da-eun’s words, Kana’s cheeks puffed up.

“…So, you’re saying I’m a bother now?”

Even in her usually calm tone, there was a hint of prickly annoyance.

Noticing this, Da-eun quickly tried to correct her mistake.

“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant…! I just thought Celine might feel left out…!”

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Kana’s cheeks remained puffed up, so Da-eun desperately tried to convince her that she didn’t mean it that way.

She kept apologizing all the way until they entered the room Justina had prepared, and only then did it seem like Kana’s mood had lightened a bit, enough for Da-eun to feel relieved.

‘Guess she wasn’t fully over it yet. Still, I’m glad I know why she’s upset this time….’

Back in the Holy Kingdom, it was hard because I couldn’t even guess why she was upset….

The ordeal had brought them closer, but even now, thinking about it made Da-eun feel nervous.

This time, though, knowing exactly why Kana was upset made it more adorable than bothersome.

“Up you go!”

Da-eun flung the door open and hugged Kana tightly.

“How could I ever look away when I have such an adorable Kana? You’re always my top priority. Like I said, it’s just that excluding someone is never good. But Kana’s kind, so you understand that exclusion is bad, right?”

“Didn’t I tell you to stop treating me like a kid?”

“Hmm~? Well, if Kana stays upset, I’ll have no choice but to treat you like one.”

“…I’m not upset, so put me down already.”

If she really didn’t like it, she could have struggled to get free. She didn’t resist when Da-eun opened the door or hugged her, yet she pretended not to like it.

But mentioning this would probably make Kana retreat into her room, so Da-eun swallowed her words, letting the not-so-honest girl go.

“…Fine. I was worried about that too, actually.”

“Then why did you—wait, never mind.”

I almost made the same mistake again.

Da-eun wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.

Thankfully, Kana hadn’t caught on to what she was about to say.

“Good girl. Thanks for understanding.”

“…”

Kana shot Da-eun a sharp look, feeling like her words had been stolen. But Da-eun brushed off the glare and patted the girl’s head.

“Alright, let’s head out now. We don’t want to miss the sunlight, do we?”

It was already getting dark, but better than after the sun had completely set, right?

With that, Da-eun smiled brightly.

***

“Look! It’s a cow!”

Da-eun hopped up and down with excitement.

Then, she suddenly stopped and tilted her head.

“…But why does it have eight legs?”

“You just noticed?”

She clapped in response to Da-eun’s very quick observation.

It wasn’t meant as a compliment, but there was no need for Da-eun to look embarrassed about it.

She sighed and took a step closer to Da-eun.

“It’s a monster.”

At first glance, it looked similar to the common cows found in Ardina, but this creature was no cow—it was a monster.

“Raising monsters… Only the Demonic Race could come up with something like this.”

If an Ardina person tried this, they’d be dragged to the execution ground and have their head chopped off immediately.

Not only would they be accused of harboring danger, but they would also be blamed for spreading Magi poisoning and disorder.

Besides, it would be impossible since monsters wouldn’t just obediently follow humans.

I wonder how they managed to tame it.

“Are they raising it for food?”

“…Yes.”

“Oh, I see.”

Da-eun, who had eagerly asked the Demon Race member, deflated at his curt reply.

‘So, that’s how they’ve been securing their food supply.’

Of course, just raising livestock wouldn’t produce enough food to feed so many of the Demonic Race.

Perhaps that’s why fields growing crops could be seen throughout the village.

I had high expectations since it’s the Demon Continent, but raising livestock and farming to survive isn’t that different.

Then again, they were originally known as the Purifier Clan, so maybe it’s only natural.



“Kana! Look at this! It’s a chicken with six legs!”

“…That’s not a chicken; it’s a monster.”

Despite her blunt response, she was already walking towards Da-eun.

A chicken with six legs—how could she ignore that?

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