Becoming a Hunter in a Dark Fantasy - Chapter 74
Only Noblemtl
Episode 74: The Old Man and the Red Clover (1)
“Hey, where is this?”
Aajen blinked his eyes and looked around.
The scenery of the foggy forest was still the same, but the people who had been with me had disappeared.
“Lord Lewin? Mr. Gale! Ms. Sercia! Mr. Calix!”
Aajen called out the names of his party until his throat was hoarse, but they returned with no answer.
The silence was eerily heavy.
“How can this be… … . Am I the only one left now?”
In Aajen’s memory, he was walking while holding tightly to the hem of Sersia’s robe, who was walking in front of him.
But then suddenly a strong gust of wind blew and I closed my eyes tightly.
“I was here… … .”
It was literally ‘in the blink of an eye’.
“Damn it!”
Aajen, who seemed to have lost all strength, sank to the ground and roughly struck the ground.
I couldn’t figure out what kind of conspiracy or sorcery had brought him here alone.
But the problem was that his life was being threatened by a dark organization called Depicio. Aazen did not forget that even though he was dropped into an unfamiliar environment.
Although Lewin and his men successfully defeated the ambush of Deficio’s assassins, they had no idea.
‘There might be a pursuer secretly following us… …!’
It was a matter of life and death. We had to consider every possibility.
“I have to get moving first.”
Because I had to somehow get out of this strange space and reunite with my group as quickly as possible!
“They will be looking for me too.”
Aajen’s expression, filled with determination, shone fiercely. He made his way through the foggy road, keeping a close eye on all sides.
How long had it been since I walked? Something new appeared in the space that had been filled with only dark forest.
The closer you get, the more you can hear the sound of water!
“It’s a river!”
It was a river with strong currents. Aajen hurriedly ran towards it with all his might.
Perhaps it is because we have finally come to terms with a new change after such a long time.
The obvious question of how such a dynamic river could exist in the quiet and static forest where he had been just a moment ago did not occur to him.
“I think I have to cross over there… … .”
There was no way further than the river. The river in front, the forest behind.
“This is a complete dead end.”
Phew, Aajen let out a deep sigh and scratched his head. He was so embarrassed that he couldn’t even describe it.
“Kkeungcha!”
Then he picked up a rock nearby and threw it forcefully toward the river.
It was to gauge the water depth.
with a plop-!
The boulder fell into the river with a loud noise. Aajen came close to the riverbank and listened to the water below.
Then I heard a very faint, tap tap tap sound as the stone hit the riverbed.
“I don’t think it’s too deep to get in.”
Aajen, who tried putting his foot in to test it again, believed that the water was not that deep.
He rolled up his trousers, rolled up his sleeves, and lightly slapped me on the cheek.
“Okay, let’s go… … !”
That was when.
“There… is someone there?”
A voice was heard from somewhere.
As if the years had seeped into even the sound, there was a deep, mysterious, and sorrowful resonance somewhere.
Aajen absentmindedly walked towards where the voice was coming from.
“… …Who are you?”
“Ah! God, you have not abandoned Schonne!”
There was an old woman there, looking up at him with a weary look, as if she had been through all the hardships of the world, but at the same time with a sense of wonder.
She was shivering, her small figure even more hunched over, wearing old and shabby clothes.
The old man said.
“I don’t know when it started… … . I got lost in the foggy forest and was trapped here forever. I’m short and have a limp, so I never dreamed of crossing to the other side of the river.”
It had been so long since I had washed it that it smelled terrible even though I wasn’t even close.
Suddenly, the bulging eyes would flicker left and right without stopping, giving off an eerie feeling, like a broken doll.
“For the past several decades, we have had to survive in this desolate place where there is no life!”
Sorrow poured down like a waterfall from the eyes of the old man as he screamed.
“Young man, please… … . Are you planning to go across the river? Take me with you!”
The old man cried out earnestly, and grabbed Aajen’s arm with a firm hand.
The blind gazes looking up at him as if he were his only savior felt more burdensome than usual.
“……that.”
Normally, I would have made up an excuse and refused.
Aajen Clover was a person who had put in every effort since birth to become the successor to the Clover Company.
Separating the gains and losses was easier than eating a cold stew.
‘The old man can’t move properly. I have no choice but to carry him. But… … .’
Aajen turned his head and looked at the river. The destination on the other side of the river seemed very far away.
A road that I’m not sure I can cross alone.
‘If we go together, there’s a high chance that neither of us will be able to escape.’
He was smart but not experienced, and he always made decisions based on reason rather than emotion.
He was not evil in nature, but he was quick-witted and clever.
‘I’ve been training consistently, but objectively speaking, my physical strength isn’t that great.’
Aajen had intended to politely decline. He said he would send a rescue team after he escaped first.
Because that was a much more reasonable decision.
“That’s it, sir… … .”
But just as I was about to express my refusal!
-Mr. Aajen, please take note of what I say.
Aajen’s mind recalled what Lwin had said before entering the forest.
-If you happen to meet someone in trouble today, no matter what happens, do your best to help them with all your heart. Got it? Definitely! Definitely!
For some reason, Lwin was repeating his words obsessively, unlike usual, and the other people in the group looked at him strangely.
-Then… … ‘This time’, you absolutely must believe me?
As Lwin’s voice rang in his head as if it was being played, Aajen answered without realizing it.
“Elder, let’s go together.”
“… … Ah. Oh, thank you! I really appreciate it!”
“Oh, no. It’s nothing. Don’t keep bending down, sir… … . Huh, huh? Get up quickly!”
Aajen was flustered and surprised while talking.
The corners of the old man’s mouth slightly rose as he lowered his head.
* * *
Splash, splash.
“Isn’t it heavy?”
“It’s okay, sir.”
Aajen slowly waded through the strong waves, carrying the old man on his back. It was a task to carry the weight of one person.
I expected it to be hard, but it wasn’t as hard as I thought. The old man’s weight was exaggerated, as if he were light as a feather.
“It must be boring to just walk around like this… … Young man, would you like to listen to my story?”
“It’s an honor. I also enjoy hearing stories about adults’ lives.”
“… … You, I really like you!”
The old man, laughing heartily, quietly opened his bundle of stories and willingly told me the story of his life.
“Those were reckless times.”
Let me say this in advance: it was a love story.
“For some reason, our species has maintained a closed life. We are not allowed to go out into the world carelessly.”
Upon hearing that, Aajen suddenly thought. Are you from a different race?
Sometimes, in the case of ethnic minorities who are exclusive to other ethnic groups, they oppress their members based on outdated traditions and customs.
“But I was a very curious child since I was young. One spring day, when all things in the world were in full bloom, I eventually left my hometown without telling my fellow countrymen and went out into the world. It was a kind of childish rebellion.”
“… … I, somehow, understand that feeling. When I was young, I also didn’t understand the things adults told me not to do.”
Suddenly, it occurred to Aajen that it might be okay to be a little more honest.
In such a strange space, the impulse to show something different than usual emerged.
“… … To be honest, I’m still a bit like that. I thought I’d grown a lot, but there are still many times when the world feels unfamiliar and difficult.”
“Young man, you are so foolish!”
The old man laughed heartily. Aajen’s cheeks turned bright red.
“I’m not young! I had my coming of age ceremony this year!”
“Claiming that you are not young is proof that you are.”
“… … Ugh.”
Despite his humble appearance, the old man had a wise appearance.
He somehow wanted to ask. About the tragedy of that day, when his comrades were brutally murdered, which still cannot be erased.
‘Could it be… … that it was my fault? Because of me, because I was lacking… … that even my comrades who didn’t need to die died?’
She spoke as if singing, as if she had seen through Aajen’s inner thoughts that he could not bring himself to say.
“That’s the privilege of the young. Make as many mistakes as you want!”
“I’m afraid of making mistakes, of making mistakes.”
“There has never been an attempt in this world that was not accompanied by fear. Just learn from your mistakes and don’t repeat them. That is the source of a great step forward.”
The old man smiled broadly.
“Growth. That too is a privilege of youth.”
Aajen, who felt somehow light-hearted, asked softly, returning to the original topic.
“So? What happened next, sir?”
“Well, unfortunately, it wasn’t a very good start. A young child from a rare species who doesn’t know anything about the world and is out alone… … means he’s a perfect target for evildoers.”
The old man spoke ominously, his already gravelly voice growing even more hoarse.
The realistic voice that was heard so close to my ear gave me goosebumps.
Swaying~
And just when he had reached the center of the river, Aajen tilted his body without realizing it.
‘……uh?’
For some reason, the old man’s feather-like weight felt heavy.
‘Is this a mistake?’
While Aajen was still nodding, the old man spoke in a voice soaked in sentiment.
“I was planning to just take a quick look around and go back, but before I could even turn around, I was being chased by a bunch of humans and was running away. Resentment, hatred, anger… … I was consumed by all sorts of negative emotions and cursed the whole world. I hated humans.”
Aajen flinched. He instinctively felt how much emotion was contained in those calm words.
“Then I hid in a valley… … and I met you there.”
Although Aajen couldn’t see it, the old man must have laughed.
It was a voice so gentle that it made me think that way.
“He was just a hunter, but he found me and instead of reporting me, he hid me in a safe place. And every day, he treated me with utmost care and looked after me to the best of his ability.”
“What a blessing. You were able to meet such a kind person.”
“That’s right. Meeting him was the luckiest thing in my life!”
As the old man shouted, his weight suddenly became even heavier.
“Ugh!”
It was no mistake! The old man’s weight was getting heavier and heavier!
“He and I fell in love in an instant. I loved him so much that I could endure this hardship and pain as a trial to meet him.”
But the person responsible did not seem to notice this, as the old man continued speaking calmly.
“But… … I have to return to my hometown. In the first place, my clan cannot stay outside of our hometown for long. It is obviously impossible for us to live together with humans.”
The old man grew heavier and heavier, like cotton soaked in water.
The weight that had been as light as a feather had become like carrying a few bushels of grain on my back.
Aajen staggered, unable to support the weight. It felt as if his knees would buckle if he made even the slightest mistake.
“… … Ugh!”
“Hmm? Oh! Are you having a hard time?”
When Aajen groaned, the old man finally came out of his trance and looked back at him. The old man laughed out loud as if he found it funny.
When Aajen heard that laughter, he suddenly felt goosebumps all over his body.
“Just hold on a little longer, young man.”
The old man whispered and wrapped his arms, thin as tree branches, tightly around his neck.
“The destination is just around the corner.”
As if a water ghost were saving another victim, fiercely.