Surviving in the 121st Century - Chapter 93



Only Noblemtl

As he was quietly looking at her, the stone fist next to him suddenly touched Jincheol’s arm. It was telling him to come to his senses and greet her.

Jincheol raised his right hand and said.

“I’m Kang Jin-cheol. But why am I called deaf? My ears and your ears are similar.”

“···Aren’t you Esai?”

“No.”

“Then what is it?”

“Human. Human Kang Jin-cheol.”

“···?”

Sho-o-gi blinked his large eyes and exchanged glances with the other Ologs next to him. Then he looked at Jin-cheol again and spoke.

“What does it matter? Anyway, you can claim your name. Nice to meet you, Kang Jin-cheol.”

“If you can claim your own name, then race doesn’t matter… Nice to meet you too, Shougi.”

The identity of those who see all races, even their own kind, as prey was truly simple. Perhaps that was why they viewed everyone as prey equally, without discrimination.

Then, the eyes of Sho-ogi and the other Ologs, as well as Doljumeok and Jincheol, turned to Snow. She pulled her chin in slightly as if she felt burdened by the sudden attention, and spoke softly.

“···Snow. I’m Esai.”

“Oh. Really? But it’s much whiter than I heard. The eyes are also red like jewels. It’s amazing.”

“···”

Snow didn’t say anything in response, but Shogi nodded to himself and continued speaking.

“Anyway, it’s nice to meet you, wanderers. Welcome. Let’s warm up together.”

The two Ologs behind her ran back first. Doljukju went back to the driver’s seat and started the engine, and Shoogi led the way, moving close to the tank with the engine roaring as if guiding them.

Shogi looked at the tram’s tracks making a loud noise and nodded again. Nodding like that seemed to be a habit.

“It’s a nice tank. I don’t think it was excavated. Was it made in the South?”

Doljumeok is sitting in the driver’s seat, and Snow is having a hard time with this small talk. In the end, the only one who can answer her is Jincheol, who is sitting on the tram.

“East, not south.”

“East? There is no city of the Esai in the east.”

“There is the sea. And across it are the rabbits.”

Shougi blinked.

“The sea? I’ve only heard of it, but I’ve never seen it. Can you cross it? And what about Rabito?”

Jincheol laughed. Was it right to ask someone from ten thousand years ago to explain the current era? There were so many things I didn’t know. But I couldn’t embarrass someone who was curious, so Jincheol explained it to me.

“You can cross the ocean. It’s just a big puddle after all. And Rabito is a flying rabbit fascist. A fascist who is crazy about militarism and power. But some people are okay. And some of them are very good people. To that extent, they’re just ordinary people.”

“Pha, Pasho? A flying rabbit? What is a rabbit?”

“Don’t you know about rabbits? They’re animals that look like mice and have big ears.”

“···”

Jincheol pretended to draw ears on his head. However, when Shogi saw that, he rolled his eyes and then frowned.

“You! Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me by using difficult words?”

“···There are people across the sea called Rabito, and this tank was made by them. They have good technology, so they make good tanks.”

“Huh. From now on, speak so easily. If you use difficult words again, I’ll break your face!”

“Heh heh.”

When Jincheol saw Shogi clenching his fists and laughing like an old man, the bone chip in his chest started to tingle.

[···Hijacker’s temper is dead! Where is the international criminal who ate an airship a few days ago! Are you going to just sit by and listen to that? Blow the thrush away!]

“Shut up, Inma. I’m going as a guest now.”

And it was natural for a fascist to not understand. Jincheol let it go, but for some reason, Sho-ogi’s eyes widened at the voice that resonated from Jincheol’s chest. She even dug her fingers into her ears as if she doubted whether she had heard it wrong.

Then he carefully asked Jincheol.

“You, Kang Jin-cheol. Are you a wizard?”

“What? Me? Why am I a wizard?”

“···”

Shou-ogi silently pointed to Jin-cheol’s chest, and Bon-chip whined as if he realized that he had been pointed at, even though he didn’t have eyes.

[Kiyahou! Hello, Mr. Shogi! Nice to meet you! Still, the female body is much better looking than other gorillas! And even hair? Long ago, hair was considered a symbol of sensuality and lust! You can’t find hair on male gorillas, but on females, not only hair but also eyebrows and other body hairs are visible! Judging from the difference in muscle mass, could there be a difference in testosterone and DHT secretion and receptivity? It’s very different from the days of genetic modification for simple labor enhancement that I knew about! Did there really exist some kind of modification or manipulation that I don’t know about? Or was it just Mother Nature’s choice? If there were facilities, I would have taken blood and studied it! Huh? Come to think of it, I don’t have a research module to study such things in the first place, right? Then why do I have questions that I can’t solve? Hehehe hahaha!]

Shogi’s expression, which had been listening to the nonsense of the pouring out Bonchips, suddenly relaxed. She blinked and looked at the Bonchips hanging like a necklace, then nodded.

“···He was a crazy sorcerer who could summon ghosts.”

“I’m not a wizard.”

Shogi’s eyes narrowed.

“Are you trying to fool me? I doubt you even say that you are not a noble.”

“···”

Jincheol tried to protest, but just shook his head. It wasn’t entirely wrong to say that a madman was summoning a ghost. In any case, Bonchip was crazy in the eyes of the people of this era, and although he twitched at Jincheol’s orders, everyone followed him. Even if Jincheol couldn’t use magic, Bonchip could probably do something similar.

And even if I insisted on holding her and explaining it further, it didn’t seem like I could erase the distrust on Shogi’s face. Even though we only talked briefly, I could tell that her personality was very simple and fiery.

The party’s tanks soon entered the Olog camp. Here and there, old tanks and tents were set up, and ragtag Ologs emerged from them, all of them with a truly fierce expression.

Sho-ogi, who had been standing next to the chariot as if guiding it, quickly got off his horse and ran towards a certain Olog woman. The Olog woman, who had emerged from a small but most splendid tent, was looking at Jin-cheol with deep eyes.

* * *

‘Gar’ was a complex word that could refer to a place where a clan lived, a tent, a family, a community, a lineage, or even the Olog itself. Therefore, a child of Gar refers to a child of the family and community, or simply a child of the Olog.

Jincheol suddenly remembered the stone fist calling the young boy Maro, Gar’s child, and looked at him. What was he thinking when he called that boy Gar’s child? Did he mean that he was his child? Or did he call him Gar because the group he was moving with at the time meant a community, and Maro was young?

Anyway, it was true that he had taught the boy the ways of the wilderness. Perhaps by now he was teaching other orphans in the city being rebuilt how to live like Olog. Ignorant rabbits who act like stone fists.

The stone fist that had been shaking brightly in the light of the campfire turned its head when it noticed Jincheol’s gaze. The bastard opened his mouth rudely.

“What are you looking at?”

“What are you looking at? This kid has been getting a little beat up lately.”

The playful, low tone of voice made his stone fist flinch as if it had been pricked by a needle. He glanced at the other Ologs sitting around the campfire and whispered quietly.

“···Why? We are here as guests now.”

“I know, you little punk. That’s why I’m not raising my hand.”

The tense expression on the Stone Fist’s face finally calmed down. Now, they were sitting around a campfire in the middle of the Ologs’ camp.

Jincheol, Snow, and Doljumeok sat in the inner seats in that order, and the Ologs of this camp sat in a circle to their left and right. Next to Jincheol, an Olog man with an unusually large build and various decorations such as strings and necklaces was looking at him with bored eyes.

His body was covered in crude tattoos, which Jincheol could see were tattoos depicting himself hunting various animals. It was said that ancient humans drew pictures to wish for hunting. However, he probably didn’t tattoo such a wish on his body, and these were probably animals he hunted.

When Jincheol and his party entered the camp, he silently made a gesture to the other Ologs. Then the Ologs brought out a bunch of pots, bowls, jars, and cushions, laid them out around the campfire, and invited Jincheol and his party to sit down. Seeing Doljumeok obediently follow the gesture, Jincheol and Snow also sat down.

When they actually sat down, the Ologs just stared blankly at Jincheol and his group with their fierce expressions. Among them was Shogi, who had guided them, and the Olog woman with a strange look in her eyes who was closely attached to her.

At that moment, the tattoo artist Olog, who was next to Jincheol, took out a jar and placed it in front of Jincheol, then unsealed the jar. A strong smell rose from it, and Jincheol opened his eyes wide.

“What is this smell?”

Moonshin Olog picked up a bowl, scooped out the contents of the jar, and offered it to Jincheol. When Jincheol received it, the bowl was filled with a clear, subtle liquid. When Moonshin Olog glanced at it, he was just staring at Jincheol as if telling him to drink it quickly.

Jincheol looked him in the eye and brought the bowl to his mouth. At first, it tasted soft and slightly sour, but after it went down his throat, a fiery aroma burned his mouth and throat. Feeling the taste and aroma, Jincheol opened his eyes wide and soon emptied the bowl of food without a trace.

“···Huh. This tastes good.”

The liquid was, of course, alcohol. It started out as a fermented liquor like makgeolli, with a smooth and hot flavor at the same time, but by the end it was so strong that it made my stomach feel like it was on fire.

When Moonshin Olog saw Jincheol emptying his bowl cleanly, he blinked at Jincheol. Jincheol, who was licking his lips, felt puzzled by the gaze and held out his bowl, thinking that he would give him another drink. Moonshin Olog naturally poured him another bowl, and Jincheol drank it down with relish.

After drinking three more bowls in a row, the tattooed Olog suddenly burst into laughter.

“Hahahahaha! I’ve never seen a southerner drink so well!”

As soon as he started laughing like that, the other Ologs also started laughing. They nodded their heads while looking at the bewildered Jincheol.

“Five bowls of Komrak in a row? That’s amazing!”

“Well. Won’t you collapse now? Even my father can’t eat five bowls of komrak in a row.”

“Me too, Komrak! I’ll drink it too!”

As I was quietly watching the Ologs chattering amongst themselves, Doljukpum leaned his head to the side and whispered.

“Are you okay?”

“what?”

The guy looked at Jincheol’s calm face with curiosity.

“Kkomrak is not a drink you gulp down. You drink it one sip at a time with your meals throughout the evening.”

“What? Didn’t you give it to me to drink?”

“It’s true that I gave it to you to drink. But I didn’t give it to you to gulp it down like that. But is it really okay?”

“It smells good. Do you know how to make this too?”

Stone Fist shook his head.

“Kkomrak is a liquor that only the mothers of the tribe can make. If other Ologs make it, the taste may be similar, but it cannot wash away the ‘warmth’ inside the body.”

“What about insulation?”

In response to Jincheol’s question, Doljumeok tilted his head as if he was thinking of a replacement word.

“What… is that? Something bad? Something that kills the body?”

“Good alcohol washes away all the bad things in the body, right? This is awesome.”

The Ologs offered a bowl of the liquor called Komrak to Doljumeok and Snow. Doljumeok quickly took a sip, and Snow cautiously sniffed the scent, flicking it with the tip of his tongue like a cat licking water. Then, as if the taste was not bad, he began to sip little by little.

Then they opened the lid of the pot that was on the campfire and filled another bowl with the soup and meat that was there. Jincheol was a little nervous when he saw the meat, but fortunately it didn’t seem to be the meat he was worried about. It seemed to be the meat of the horse (cow) they were riding.

Jincheol took a bite of the meat and opened his eyes wide again.

“···What the fuck. This is so fucking delicious.”

How can such a taste be produced in such a barren land? The meat was so tender, and the broth soaked into it stroked my tongue and throat with a wonderful savory flavor. The slightly spicy aroma beautifully combined the oily meat and broth. Even the galbitang I had in the 21st century did not taste like this.

After eating the meat and broth and taking a sip of the kkomrak, Jincheol suddenly felt like crying. This was because two emotions came to mind at the same time.

Because I was so impressed by the delicious food, and because of the taste, I missed samgyeopsal with soju even more.

Just then, while Jincheol was being moved by the food and drinks he had not expected to find in such a wilderness, the tattooed Olog, who had emptied a bowl of kkomrak just like Jincheol, opened his mouth and shook the empty bowl clean.

“So, what are the Southerners doing here? And with a wanderer as their guide?”

Jincheol’s answer was a little late because he was excitedly eating meat. Thanks to that, Doljumeok opened his mouth first.

He put down what he was eating and glared at the tattooed Olog.

“I am not a vagabond.”

“If you wander alone without a guide, you’re a wanderer. No, other wanderers tend to wander in groups of three or four, so you’re an even lonelier wanderer.”

“We are not alone, but we move together. We are not alone. We walk the same path together, so we teach.”

At those words, the tattooed Olog looked at Doljumeori with blank eyes.

“Are you Tolkan?”

“···”

At those words, the chattering Ologs became quiet. And all eyes turned to this side. In particular, the eyes of the Olog woman sitting with Shogi became even deeper.

Stone Fist, who had been glaring at the tattooed Olog, lowered his eyes slightly as if he could not stand the gaze they had met.

“···No. That’s not what I meant. I can’t be compared to Tolkan.”

“Yes. Only Tolkhan burned Olog and all living beings in Kapchak to create Hun-Gar. But since then, no one has been able to unite all Olog’s Gars into one, or create Hun-Gar that includes other southerners. That is the legend.”

The tattooed Olog said, scooping up another bowl of Komrak from the empty bowl.

“So, you losers who have lost your garrison, keep your mouth shut. We didn’t hunt you down because your chariot was nice, and this Southerner cleaned out the komrak.”

“···”

The body of the stone fist shrank. Surprisingly, his large body shrank so much that he looked small at first glance. A low laughter flowed from the Ologs who were looking at him.

And Jincheol, who had been quietly watching them while eating meat, threw down the bones and bowl he had eaten as if he was throwing them away, and emptied all the remaining meat. Naturally, the eyes of the Ologs turned to him.

Then, just like the tattooed Olog had done, he emptied the empty bowl and handed it to him.

The tattoo artist looked at the empty bowl and the iron and said:

“···You want to drink more?”

“Why? Are we running out of alcohol?”

The tattooed Olog’s eyelids twitched slightly. He took Jincheol’s bowl and filled a plate, and Jincheol emptied it cleanly again. Then he held it out to him again.

“···also?”

“This time, you too, have a drink.”

“···”

The tattooed Olog’s eyes narrowed. He slowly accepted Jincheol’s glass, then moved the jar between himself and Jincheol. Then he scooped up a large bowl and emptied the glass in one gulp. Even as he emptied the glass, his eyes were fixed on Jincheol.

After emptying the glass like that, he filled the glass again with a sip of water and handed it to Jincheol. Jincheol calmly accepted it and drank it down as if it were water, and then, just like Moonshin Olog had done, he filled the glass from the jar and handed it to him.

“···”

The tattooed Olog received the glass with a serious look in his eyes, slowly emptied it, then filled it again and handed it to Jincheol. Jincheol emptied the glass at the same speed as before. The eyes of the Ologs looking at him began to slowly fill with astonishment.

The glasses passed between Jincheol and Munsin Olog three or four times. Munsin Olog, who had been sitting upright, began to open his eyes. However, Jincheol remained calm and emptied his glass cleanly. As the two drank at that speed, one jar was emptied.

The eyes of the tattooed Olog brightened slightly at the sight of the empty jar. He was about to make a gesture indicating that there was no more wine left. However, the thought was lightly dismissed as another Olog opened a new jar and placed it between them.

The tattoo Olog looked up at the Olog who had brought the new jar with blank eyes. She was the Olog woman who had been closely attached to Shogi. She looked down at the tattoo Olog with her dark face turned away from the campfire, then returned to her original position. After seeing that face, the tattoo Olog had to give up the idea of ​​digging up the place.

When a new jar appeared, Jincheol emptied his bowl first and then offered a full glass to Moonshin Olog. Moonshin Olog accepted it with a staggering gesture and barely managed to empty his glass, half of it spilling over. After that, he was unable to fill Jincheol’s glass.

“Ugh···”

Then Jincheol took the empty glass, filled it with his own hand, drank it, then filled another glass and handed it to Moonshin Olog.

The tattooed Olog barely managed to hold on to the jar as he looked back and forth between the protruding cup and the iron. He was panting for breath when he finally spoke.

“What, what do you want, what do you want···?”

Then Jincheol smiled brightly and took back the glass he had offered, emptying it cleanly in one gulp. Jincheol emptied his empty glass and spoke softly.

“Apologize to my friend.”

The panting tattooed Olog looked at Jincheol’s face as if he couldn’t believe it. Then, he turned his head to Doljumeok as if he had given up and shook his head.

“···Mi, sorry, ha···”

Iron Man. Tattoo Olog fell down while sitting there, apologizing.

“···”

All the Ologs in front of the campfire were silent and looked at Jincheol. Jincheol was still drinking from the soup bowl and sipping the meat broth.