Volume 1 - CH 25

Placing the revolver in the drawer beside me, I laid on the bed inside the inn. Meanwhile, Xifu was having her meal, making the numerous dishes in front of her disappear at a speed no slower than when she devoured 50 kilograms of raw meat itself.

As I watched her wolf down the food without any utensils, I recalled the story Parker told me during the day…

“Krifrey is a good person. A very, very good person.”

As I listened to the craftsman’s story, I expected the story to be a tragedy, because good guys always get it worse.

Although his voice was as incomprehensible as if he spoke with a bellow, my wife and I sat down quietly as we listened to his slow voice.

In his younger days, Krifrey was a Black Merchant who later on settled down in Nightfall Town. When Parker got to know him, they were both still young and in their prime. According to Parker, he was a good looking young chap just like me.

It seemed that Krifrey changed his occupation from a Black Merchant to a ‘Hunter’. To be fair, I could only half-guess what Parker said as he described him as a Hunter. 

It should probably mean a hunter that goes hunting everyday for animals with a gun.

On a side note, it seems the word ‘hunt’ that Xifu taught me and the word Parker used for ‘hunt’ was pronounced differently, but it should probably mean the same thing.

It seems at that period of time, Nightfall Town was still very much underdeveloped compared to now. Meat was scarce, so the residents at that time could only survive on the grains grown from the southern fields and by scavenging from the surrounding plants. 

Thus, hunting became a respectable profession, even though there were risks and it was not guaranteed you could always bring back spoils for the day.

But Krifey was different from the others. He had never once returned empty handed. This not only meant he had tremendous luck, it also displayed his tremendous skills. 

Despite all that, he had never once hesitated to share his spoils with the children or the poor of the town.

As time went on, respect for the old hunter only grew. Even the other hunters didn’t mind going out for a hunt with him.

As the days passed, the hunter probably realized his body was aging and changed his focus on long term development and sustainability.

He started experimenting with rearing livestock like Fanged Horses and Big Sheep.  That was also when it showed hope to the residents that a better future was really possible.

And the gun was the first and the last one that the Hunter commissioned the Craftsman to make.

At that period of time there must have been a lot on Krifey’s mind. With the development of the Town there must have been a lot of dangers, which must have included dangers that can come to his home…

“We and the Kingdom is, uh, ‘bad’, right?”

I didn’t understand what Parker said next, and Parker didn’t explain further but only repeated the word ‘bad’.

Between choosing to continue living his life or to protect Nightfall Town, the Old Hunter didn’t hesitate to choose the latter.

As he started telling the second half of the story, the excitement I had built up for the epic climax, were dashed when he summarised it into ‘Krifey died in a fight to protect this place’

Wait, he died?!

In a fight with who? The Kingdom?

How did he fight? Did he use magic or guns?

I don’t really want to know where the Old Hunter came from, but I want to know how he met his end!

Even though I was dying to know what happened in the fight, I didn’t ask any further as Parker looked like he didn’t want to elaborate it any further.

Well, Xifu looked like she was enjoying the story so far. Probably imagining the part about the meat that the Hunter brought back…

After that, Parker demonstrated for me the way to use the revolver. Even though it looked really modern, it was unexpectedly utilising antique technology.  

To reload, you still had to fill in the gunpowder and place the ammunition in. Then, you had to lock it in with a small silver button. It was practically the oldest type of percussion cap revolver.

Still, it had an overwhelming advantage—firepower. There’s no need to even compare a single shot pistol with a 5 shot capability pistol.

“You take it”

“Huh? Are you giving it to me?”

“You need it even more than others, don’t you?”

Parker smiled, revealing his yellowed crooked teeth.

“Ah, still want to drink tonight?”

“No no, I’m not drinking…”

Anything but more alcohol… to show my gratitude for a gift, I’ve got to at least have toast 3 mugs in his honor…(TL Note: A traditional drinking culture in China where you drink 3 cups of alcohol in someone’s honor. For more info click here)

Till today, I still haven’t really understood Xifu’s eating habits. Maybe it’s not that I didn’t understand, but because her habits had been affected after living too long with me.

I know I should have let her continue her race’s own eating habits, but I just like feeding her too much!

Here, I can do things that I would have normally been too ashamed to do without care, and I’ll do it until I’m sick of it!

A-anyways, back to the story of the Old Hunter of Nightfall Town. From what I’ve understood from the story, ignoring any doubts on the authenticity  of the story, he must really be one hell of a hunter.

On a side note, it felt like there was a fact that Parker was also trying to hide— he was capable of making a modern weapon like a revolver.

Throughout the whole story, Parker never stopped talking about the miracles that the Old Hunter was capable of, but only simply admitted that he was only the maker of the gun. Thus, he was probably trying to say the gun belonged to Krifrey, and Krifrey was a great man.

And because of this story, this simple revolver carried the heavy burden of his mission and his responsibilities.

I flipped the gun around my hands. As I caressed along its edges, a strange sensation welled up inside me.

“Xifu…How do you think we will be…In the future?

“In the future?”

“Yeah…Like what will both of us be doing? Who else will we get to know?”

“The future, just like now!”

“As happy and peaceful, like now?”

“Yes, happy, peaceful, and I love you!” 

“Haha, yeah, and I love you.”

As I gently wiped the bits of food at my wife’s mouth, I couldn’t help but think how positive her mindset was. And unknowingly, it became a pillar of support for me mentally.

“Oh, will everyday be a sunny day in the future too ?”

“That’s not possible I think?”(Xifu)

“Then, does my face look like a sunny day ?” (TL Note: Some untranslatable expression/joke in Chinese)

“You dum-dum.”

Xifu used a snake to lick my forehead, probably a way she used to flirt?

In view of several factors, we decided to stay another night here. Despite Simon and Wolfgang insisting that it’s fine, I still decided to give 5 gold coins for the food and a room. 

They’re still a business after all, and the amount of food my Xifu ate was no joke…

We were both like poor newlyweds that had small white collar jobs on their honeymoon, spending our savings recklessly in pursuit of the feeling of sweetness and happiness.

But life was filled with the unknown. You never know what will happen tomorrow, or even whatever that will happen in the next few hours.

Not even I expected that after that night of having sex like animals, that danger was coming when the Sun rose the next day.

……

“Lou Woo, quickly, quickly!”

I was shaken awake by Wolflang, and my Xifu in return was shaken awake by me.

“What happened?!”

“Quickly, quickly, Mr Lou Woo!”

“What happened?!”

Even though he was a werewolf, I couldn’t even see the nervous expression on his face. Seeing how he threw our clothes to us in a hurry, it didn’t seem like a prank.

“Hubby, what’s up……”

“Wolflang, what’s going on?!”

“XXXXXX!”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, I don’t fucking understand you!” (TL Note: He says this in Chinese

I cursed out in Chinese again. Times like these, make me wish for Doraemon to be beside me now. (TL Note: Reference to a gadget that Doraemon has called Translation Konjac/Gummy)

It was so early in the morning and I was already breaking out in cold sweat over Wolfgang looking so anxious that it was as if his own tail was on fire.

“Xifu, you understand?”

“Eh?…”

She was still in the state of blurriness after being suddenly woken up.

“Two of you, quickly! No more time!”

“I know, I know, but we need to at least put on some clothes first!”

“Ahhhh!”

Before I could even put my shirt on, Wolfgang forced his tuxedo’s coat onto me and pulled me out of the room.

Xifu, on the other hand, nimbly put on her already few pieces of clothes and followed along.

“Wait, stairs.”

“Let me, let me”

“You two…”

I didn’t care about my body, as I clumsily hit the sides as I carried her down the stairs.

Wolflang my friend, if this is a prank of yours, I’m going to get my revenge on you.

But as we ran onto the streets of Nightfall Town, I finally heard the repeated tolling sounds of a bell.

All it could remind me off was the sounds from an old movie—Tunnel Wars. (TL Note: Reference to his REALLY old movie)