The Story of Becoming a Married Man in Another World - Chapter 21



021: The Ability to Use Healing Magic

The hammer in his hand was quite heavy.

Whether it was because the hunter who originally lived in this house was large, or because the hammers in this world were inherently heavy and large, Juhwan, despite his considerable size, didn’t feel the hammer was small. It would be suitable for Juhwan to swing.

Juhwan recalled the walking technique he learned from Gus and distributed his weight evenly on both legs.

Although it was just one day, the movements Gus taught had seeped well into his body. It wasn’t perfect yet, but if he had to fight, it would allow Juhwan’s large frame to move nimbly.

As the village chief and the men approached, Juhwan slightly lowered his waist, ready to strike at any moment.

But as soon as the village chief got close to the house, he yelled at the men who were lying on the ground.

“######.”

It seemed to be some kind of curse, like calling them fools or idiots. He looked quite angry.

‘Did those guys act on their own?’

Juhwan felt a bit relieved. If all the village men were the type to casually lay hands on others’ families and belongings, it would have been difficult to continue living in this mountain.

Juhwan glanced at the men behind the village chief.

Unlike the village chief, the faces of the village men were slightly stiff. It seemed the sight of the men lying on the ground was more gruesome than they had expected. In a small village, they might be relatives or childhood friends.

Juhwan glared at the men behind the village chief with a stern face.

The village men quietly averted their gaze without saying a word. They didn’t seem to sympathize with the village chief, but they seemed to think the fallen men were in the wrong.

It seemed that even in this world, taking others’ belongings or assaulting someone’s wife was a crime.

If so, the village chief and the villagers who took the hunter’s belongings would also be criminals, but it seemed to be a society where the weak had to endure injustice without saying anything. Considering that others decided marriage partners, it might be natural in a way.

Juhwan clicked his tongue inwardly. He could see how much Lizzy and Dorothy had been oppressed all this time. Still, it was somewhat fortunate that it wasn’t a complete lawless land.

As Juhwan stood tall, the village chief approached and said something as if making excuses.

Perhaps because of the village chief’s voice, there was a sign of someone trying to open the door from inside the house.

Juhwan, while keeping an eye on the village chief and the men, made eye contact with Lizzy through the open door. He shook his head, signaling her not to come out, and then closed the door again.

The village chief watched the exchange between Juhwan and Lizzy silently, then gave a servile smile. After a few more words of apology or excuse, the village chief handed the bundle of fabric he was holding to Juhwan.

—

—

It seems like the fallen ones’ sins are being overlooked. Or maybe it’s also to keep quiet about taking all the belongings from this house.

If someone reports the person who committed the crime, will they be put on trial? I don’t think there’s a court in a village like this, but maybe they report it to the lord who governs the area like a gong, or the villagers gather to hold a trial.

“….”

Juhwan frowned for a moment but quietly accepted the fabric.

Anyway, it’s difficult to completely alienate the villagers right now.

There’s a saying that the dead don’t speak, so if he, an outsider, becomes a burden, the entire village might risk attacking him.

If he were alone, it might be different, but in such a situation, it would be difficult to protect Lizzy and Dorothy.

‘It’s better to end it like this.’

As Juhwan accepted the fabric, the village chief visibly relaxed.

For a moment, he thought that maybe the fabric was given to him because they were worried he might leave the mountain.

To these people, a hunter staying in this mountain might be essential. I need to learn the language quickly; it’s frustrating not knowing the situation at all.

When the village chief gave some orders to the men, the village men carried the fallen ones on their backs. At least they could have brought a stretcher, but the villagers were empty-handed.

Maybe there’s no such thing as a stretcher in this world, or maybe the village is too poor to have made one.

As they moved their bodies with broken bones, the injured ones seemed to be in pain. The injured ones screamed in agony.

If they die like that, it’s not Juhwan’s fault but the village men’s. The bones probably pierced their organs because they moved without any measures.

The villagers must know that too, but the men just silently did their work even as the screams grew louder. Maybe they already thought they wouldn’t survive and treated them as dead. This world seems to be quite cruel and cold-hearted.

As Juhwan watched, the village chief and the men descended the mountain.

Hunter Gus watched them for a moment, then smirked and waved goodbye to Juhwan. Gus followed the village men down the mountain. The screams faded along with the people’s figures.

Before he knew it, the sky had darkened. The men who had descended lit torches. In the twilight, the blazing torches swayed like dancing flames as they passed through the trees.

Juhwan watched the light grow smaller and smaller. After confirming that the village chief and the men had completely left the house and become tiny dots, Juhwan turned around.

When he entered the house, Lizzy, who had been hiding in a corner with Dorothy, ran to him.

The anxious expression on her face relaxed when she saw him. The two of them breathed a sigh of relief in his arms. The small breaths touched Juhwan’s body like fluff, then disappeared and touched again.

Seeing Lizzy and Dorothy relax in his arms, Juhwan felt relieved. I’m glad I can be a place where they can feel safe. That thought made his heart feel full.

As Juhwan bent down and patted their backs, Dorothy’s stomach growled. Hmm, the child’s stomach clock is accurate in any situation.

That evening, they had grilled pieces of wolf meat that had started to dry on the surface.

It seemed like Dorothy ate more than half. Her small belly swelled up like a frog, and later it seemed difficult for her to breathe.

With only half her clothes on, Dorothy rolled around like a cat in the warm spot next to the fireplace, and Lizzy diligently sewed children’s clothes from old women’s clothes.

The clothes stained with urine were washed with water mixed with a bit of ash and hung inside the hut. Until those clothes dried, Dorothy was half-naked. Lizzy seemed anxious because there were no clothes for the child to wear immediately.

*

As the darkness deepened, the stars in the sky seemed to shine even brighter. Although this place was located at a low part of the mountain, the sky felt close enough to touch. Maybe I’ll get used to it over time. For now, it still felt very unfamiliar.

—

The night in the winter mountains is quiet. In the darkness where not even the sound of insects can be heard, only the sound of burning firewood quietly echoed through the house.

After a rollercoaster of a day, Dorothy fell asleep early in the evening. The small, round belly of the child still hadn’t deflated. It seemed the child was satisfied with a full stomach, as she fell asleep with a contented smile.

I worried that today’s events might leave a bad memory for the child, but occasionally, a small laugh escaped from the sleeping child’s mouth. It seemed she was having a good dream. That was good. Really good.

By the crackling fire, Lizzy was calmly examining the fabric she received today after finishing making the child’s clothes.

To Joo-hwan’s eyes, the fabric looked rough and coarse, not particularly good, but Lizzy seemed to like it. She kept stroking it with her hands, checking for any loose threads or mold.

This was already the third time.

She unfolded the fabric that had been rolled up and examined it, then folded it back again.

And after a while, Lizzy would take out the fabric again by the fire and look at it.

I never thought she would be this happy.

“….”

It was fortunate that I didn’t pick a fight when the village chief handed over the fabric. It was really good to quietly accept and take the fabric.

However, for some reason, it made me a little sad to realize that any item was extremely precious to Lizzy here. It would have been nice if we could have brought something, even a little, when we crossed over from Earth. I guess I should punch Santa if I ever meet him.

Joo-hwan watched Lizzy stroking the fabric for a moment, then headed to the corner. He sat down on the floor with his legs crossed.

Since catching the wolf, he had been trying to create fire with magic.

He visualized images and used every word he could think of related to fire and magic.

But it was all in vain. There was no sign of being able to use magic.

Now, only magic training remained.

He didn’t want to do this at his age, but he had no choice. Magic might be similar to martial arts training in martial arts novels. Honestly, if this didn’t work, there was no other way.

Joo-hwan straightened his back and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and exhaled, calming his mind.

Just like in the martial arts novels, he organized his thoughts and gathered energy in his dantian. He focused all his nerves to feel the energy moving inside his body. It wouldn’t be easy.

Joo-hwan quietly inhaled and exhaled, trying to sense the energy around his navel and fingertips.

“….”

He couldn’t feel anything. It didn’t seem like there was anything inside his body.

Honestly, if he closed his eyes, he wouldn’t even know where his navel was without touching it with his hand. The idea of finding the dantian with his eyes closed was absurd. He began to doubt if it was really possible to circulate energy throughout the body as people claimed. He couldn’t feel anything at all.

Joo-hwan sighed deeply and opened his eyes.

“!”

He was startled. Lizzy was sitting quietly in front of him, watching him. She tilted her head, finding his actions strange. Cute.

She seemed a bit worried about his unusual behavior. Lizzy raised her thin finger and touched Joo-hwan’s forehead. She placed her palm on his forehead, seemingly checking his temperature.

“….”

Are you sick, Lizzy?

Juhwan smiled bitterly. He wanted to try using magic somehow, but it wasn’t easy. Maybe there’s some kind of leveling-up system like in games or novels. There’s no one to ask, and it’s frustrating. If he meets Santa, he should punch him twice.

The shadow cast by the campfire fell on Lizzy’s small, white face. As the light flickered like waves, the blue bruise hid in the shadow and reappeared.

A woman’s fragile body leaves marks more easily than a man’s. The area hit during the day turned even more bruised by evening.

Should he find out who hit her and just kill that guy? Unable to calm his rising anger, Juhwan briefly wore a grim expression.

Lizzy flinched. Juhwan smiled again to reassure her and gently touched the bruise with his finger. He lightly stroked it, making sure it didn’t hurt.

If he could use magic, he could make such bruises disappear in an instant. The anger that had subsided a bit started to seep in again. He couldn’t understand a man who would hit a woman. Where on this small body could he find a place to hit?

A sigh escaped him unconsciously out of pity. The wound he got from the wolf bite was healing little by little without doing anything special, but he couldn’t use it when he really wanted to. It’s a foolish thing.

As Juhwan gently stroked the bruise several times with his finger, Lizzy smiled faintly. She tapped Juhwan’s leg with her hand as if to say, “Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt.”

“It’s okay.”

Lizzy said that and, like a spoiled child, placed her bruised cheek in Juhwan’s palm. Her small face was completely enveloped by his large palm. Warmth passed between them through his palm for a moment.

Suddenly, he noticed that the surrounding air was cold. Juhwan was fine, but this corner must be quite chilly for Lizzy.

Juhwan removed his hand from Lizzy and gently lifted her up. As he was about to stand up, he suddenly thought that Lizzy’s face was clean. Not in the sense of being beautiful, but literally clean.

‘The bruise…’

Juhwan, startled, checked the other cheek. He thought he might have seen it wrong.

But both cheeks were clean. The bruise that had been on her blue cheeks just a moment ago had completely disappeared.

Could it be that the magic training he did earlier really had an effect?

‘Foolish… that nonsense.’

Juhwan gently placed his finger on Lizzy’s clean face.

My goodness, he could use healing magic. He could heal wounds. His heart belatedly realized this fact and began to fill with joy.

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