There Is No World For ■■ - Chapter 815



Only Krnovel

EP.815 People of the Forest. (6)

***

The view of the village that Yeomyeong encountered after getting off the truck was a little different from what she had expected.

There were no wooden houses or makeshift outposts. What dawn’s eyes saw was a huge concrete block.

Tall watchtowers, thick walls, and even sinister artillery batteries.

It was a military base that was as large as a Manchurian base, if a bit of an exaggeration. Even the walls were covered in bullet marks, so it didn’t seem to have been built recently.

this…

“… Is it a village?”

When Lashk muttered instead of Yeomyeong, Miri explained it again as an excuse.

“It seems like it was used as a rear base during the war. It was a waste to throw away the building that was already built, so they probably just used it for civilian purposes. There are probably people living inside-”

At that moment, someone shouted from the main gate watchtower.

-This place is under lockdown! Get out now!

-I’ll shoot if you come near!

“Why would a sane person aim a gun first?” As the group looked at the elf with eyes that contained such a meaning, Miri added with an awkward smile.

“Actually, 80% of the humans in the Elf Forest… no, 90% are crazy. There’s no way that humans who come to steal in someone else’s forest can be normal, right?”

“… .”

Siri and Neti nodded, saying, “I see.” At that moment, Yeomyeong shook her head as she saw even Dilla nodding.

Several of the Children of the Red Star shouted toward the watchtower.

-How dare these kids!

-If you don’t want to be left behind, why don’t you open the door right now!

-The secretary has arrived!

Was it called Hogahowi? The robbers carrying red stars on their backs were shouting loudly, not knowing how scary guns were. Perhaps they had gained confidence after seeing the power of the dawn that broke down the main gate.

-Open the door, kids!!

While Yeomyeong was thinking about the word purge, a small murmur was heard from the watchtower. Was her confident attitude working?

No matter what, there was no way this kind of bluff would work… The moment Yeomyeong prepared to get back on the truck, a reply came back from the watchtower.

-Secretary… Is that really a red star?

-This kid has been living a life of deception!

-Can you prove it?

-Look carefully! Our children of the Red Star are the proof that the Chief Secretary has arrived! The Chief Secretary has come at the invitation of Demerond! Any further questions will be considered treason!

Perhaps it was because of his confident demeanor that it wouldn’t be strange if he were called the Red Star, or perhaps it was because of Demerond’s name, but the commotion in the watchtower died down.

what?

Unlike the group who were looking at them with suspicion, the robbers… no, the Children of the Red Star shouted with even more confidence.

-I’ll give you 3 seconds! Open the door now!

Perhaps because he was a former robber, his threat was effective. And after about 30 seconds, a reply came back from the watchtower.

– I will allow you to enter if you disarm and promise not to cause any trouble.

Allowing this? This is… something. Dawn felt an instinct close to certainty, but the Red Star Children approached Dawn, giggling as if they didn’t notice anything.

“Chief Secretary! Did you see that? Disarming a superhuman? Isn’t that ridiculous? Even without that gun, you could take over this whole place by yourself, Chief Secretary. Oh, how about you just take over this place now?”

“… .”

Instead of asking if the other person looked like an idiot, Yeomyeong simply praised the robbers with a word of praise.

“We just need you to raise our wages.”

The Red Star children who said that chattered among themselves, and then immediately began hiding their weapons under the vehicle.

‘You didn’t even have the intention of disarming from the beginning… .’

Yeomyeong, who was realizing why Stalin had purged the army, looked at his group.

Let’s get ready and go in.

The only one who was clueless enough to ask what was being prepared was Rashik.

Dawn told Lashk to just stay behind, and together with the Children of the Red Star, she approached the military base… no, the first village gate they had encountered in the Elf Forest.

As we drove our trucks through a gate blocked by thick barbed wire and barricades, armed men signaled us to stop.

Their appearance was not much different from that of ordinary mercenaries. Compared to their old combat uniforms, they wore expensive bulletproof vests, and even guns that seemed to be Swiss-made.

Compared to the Red Star Children, a gang of robbers, they seemed like proper mercenaries… .

‘…the smell of blood.’

At the entrance to the door, there was a faint smell of blood that even the Dawn with the Armament Serum could barely smell.

It wasn’t just a simple nosebleed or a minor wound that made me smell blood. The source of the smell was the mercenaries’ bulletproof vests.

Blood was splattering on the bulletproof vest… Yeomyeong narrowed her eyes and scanned the mercenaries.

But unlike Yeomyeong’s tension, the guys let the truck pass without much inspection as soon as they saw Yeomyeong and Miri’s faces.

-passing!

It was too light to let dozens of armed men pass. Could it be that they were planning to surround us from the inside and then attack us?

If they were to show off such tricks, they could just eat them up. The group seemed to have similar thoughts, and each prepared their own weapons and magic.

I prepared it… .

“Guest! A guest has arrived!”

“I’m a thorn lettuce weapon dealer! Bullets, jungle, nets! There’s nothing I don’t have!”

“Come to our inn! You can take a warm bath and have a latex bed made of Earth!”

“You immoral bastards! Hey! Get out of the way! It’s our turn now!”

The ones who were actually flocking were not mercenaries, but merchants. It seemed like all the merchants in this military base had flocked there, and the bustling merchants were enough to block the entire road.

“How about some traditional Elf Forest leaf stew? It’s not an elixir, but there are also fruits that can only be found in this area!”

“There’s parking too! Only $13 a day!”

The merchants’ spirit was so strong that even Siri, who was preparing for battle, fled behind the dawn to avoid the merchants whose eyes were wide open.

The only ones in the group who weren’t surprised were Yeomyeong, who was used to soliciting customers, and Miridis, who kept her mouth shut.

“Sir, Secretary! What should we do?”

The robbers who had been acting so proud just a moment ago called out to Yeomyeong in confusion. Yeomyeong took out a bag full of dollars from his inventory as if he was trying to show off.

“It’s a little early, but I will pay you your salary. You can rest here until I give you the order.”

Immediately afterwards, Neti and Siri, who were next to them, moved quickly. The two girls, who had filled their bags, began to distribute them to the children of Red Star. They did not forget to open and close the bags every so often so that the merchants could clearly see the dollars inside.

The power of the dollar, the world’s reserve currency, was no different in the Elf Forest. Merchants rushed to the Red Star children who had received the bags and began to solicit customers.

Yeomyeong looked at the scene for a moment and then spoke to the group.

“We’re resting separately. Anyone object?”

It was just a polite remark, but surprisingly, there was someone who objected… no, there was one orc.

“Can I go back now?”

Communist Oak, Peroru. Now that I think about it, the container truck driver was this guy. Yeomyeong coughed in vain to avoid revealing that she had forgotten him, and then said.

“You’ll get into trouble with some weird guys on your way back.”

“… Are you going to disguise me?”

If you say that, there’s nothing I can do. After Yeomyeong went to the back of the truck with Peroru, she put a vision of bloody tears on his face.

As Peroru looked at his own changed face in surprise, Yeomyeong added.

“The container truck is conspicuous, so take the robbers’ vehicle. And since you might get caught on the way, abandon the vehicle when you get close to the main gate. Got it?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Stay where I can reach you. I’ll come to you when I’m done.”

“Of course, Comrade Secretary. And I hope that your work… goes well.”

After saying that, Peroru gave an awkward salute and climbed into a regular truck. The merchants and mercenaries looked at his truck as it turned back on the road, but their attention was quickly drawn to the dollars before their eyes.

-Customer! Please come to our store!

-I’ll give you a lot of extras, so hurry!

-Oh, stop fighting! I have enough customers!

After checking their appearance for a moment, Yeomyeong and her party headed in a different direction. Fortunately, no merchants clung to Yeomyeong and her party, perhaps because of the name Red Star.

And how long did it take? Just after we got deep enough into the base that the mercenaries couldn’t hear us.

“It’s a bit unpleasant. Don’t you feel that way already?”

Corvus, who was sitting on Siri’s shoulder in the form of a small crow, grumbled like this. As she said, Miri’s expression had been hardened since she entered this village.

“Yes, it is very unpleasant. I never thought I would see forest people gathered like this again.”

“… .”

The answer was somewhat off-topic. Netty, who was following behind, asked slyly.

“Sister Miri, you didn’t pass on the racism to Sister Salome, did you?”

Isn’t it a misunderstanding that Salome would be racist? Before Yeomyeong could point that out, Miri answered with cold eyes.

“Racism? No, that’s not discrimination. It’s just… closer to the disgust that Jews feel when they see Nazis.”

“Sister Salome will be sad if she hears this… Okay, I’ll stop.”

Only after Dawn glared did Neti stop her slander(?) towards Salome. Of course, the questions did not end there.

“Are those forest people comparable to the Nazis? I also learned that they were the cause of the Elf-American War… If we really have to point out fault, isn’t it more America’s fault?”

“America has its own sins, and the forest people have their own sins. If it weren’t for their betrayal, the elves would have been destroyed-”

Then, someone intervened in the conversation.

“Guests, are you looking for a place to rest?”

The voice came from above. From the balcony of a two-story building, to be exact.

“The Hwansamdenggul Inn is open to all who visit the Elven Forest.”

The young man holding the duster spoke, as if he was cleaning. He was a unique young man with a vine tattoo covering his forehead and cheeks. Instead of answering him, Yeomyeong stopped walking and asked the group.

“Shall we rest here?”

There was no great reason, and it was simply because this inn did not smell like the blood of mercenaries. The party did not refuse. Miri, who realized that the young man was a forest man, showed a little displeasure, but she also followed Yeomyeong into the inn.

The interior of the inn was surprisingly not bad. It wasn’t the most modern design, but the interior was cozy, with thick wooden walls and wooden furniture, as if it were a log cabin.

I’m not sure exactly, but judging from the way he bites his lip as soon as he sees the inside, it’s probably a traditional forest human design.

Anyway, the only guests were Yeomyeong and her party. As Yeomyeong sat down in the first-floor hall, a young man with a tattoo on his face came down and greeted them.

“Welcome to the Hwansamdenggul Inn. I am Changkeupe, the owner of this inn. Would you like to dine or stay overnight?”

“Let’s stay overnight. How many rooms are there?”

“Our inn only has three rooms, so… you’ll have to sleep in pairs. Is that okay?”

Dawn checked the number of people in the group. Dilla and Rashik, Siri and Neti, Corvus and Miri. Corvus will sleep in the form of a crow, so leave that out. Six people, three rooms. It was perfect.

“Okay, prepare three rooms. Is the fee prepaid?”

“Yes, prepaid. $400 per night per room, meals and showers are billed separately.”

$400? It was more expensive than expected, but Yeomyeong paid the fee without complaint.

“Prepare showers for everyone. Meals will be the best this inn has, and we’ll provide as many as possible.”

Just as the young man bowed his head and headed toward the kitchen, Nettie raised her hand and spoke.

“I will share a room with my brother-in-law.”

“…Why did you decide that?”

When Rashik retorted, Neti smiled.

“Because whoever orders first gets the job?”

“Hey, there is an order to coming, but there is no order to leaving. Stop talking nonsense and decide by drawing lots.”

“Yes? But… Rashik, you’re not related to your brother-in-law, are you?”

Rashik answered without caring.

“Instead, I can sell the bed. I’ll draw lots and give money to your brother to sell it.”

“… .”

Ha. Neti laughed as if she couldn’t believe it, and then looked straight at her younger sister Oshiri’s face. But for some reason, Siri avoided her sister’s gaze and asked Lashik.

“How much are you going to sell it for?”

“I’ll give it to you cheaply.”

“Okay. Deal done.”

Nettie, who saw the transaction between the two, shouted and criticized them.

“… It’s collusion! You reactionaries! You plot in a fair lottery! Corvus, Dilla! You both join hands with me!”

The reply that came back was lukewarm. Corvus, being an adult, showed no interest in such matters, and Dilla…

“I’ll give you a sandwich later!”

“Comrade Netty, just trust me.”

As soon as the party finished their collusion, Neti took out her wooden chopsticks and started making a swallow. However, before the swallow was even finished, the secretary ended the pointless partisan fight.

“Unfortunately, you won’t be sharing the same room with me today.”

“yes?”

Neti looked as if she had been struck by lightning. Dawn spoke before she could make a new move.

“Don’t get any weird ideas. I’m planning on exploring the town tonight.”

“Uh… why?”

“There seems to be something strange about this town. Let me check it out for a bit before I go.”

“… .”

“I’ll gather some information as well.”

Unlike Netty, who couldn’t hide her regretful expression, Siri lowered her head as if she realized belatedly that it was embarrassing.

Anyway, Miri said, resting her chin on the table.

“What information? Wouldn’t it be better to just go straight to the tomb where the warrior’s descendant sleeps?”

“I was going to do that too… but France is like that too, and the dimension is so shallow, something’s holding me back.”

“… .”

“I have to leave the robbers behind anyway… Let’s search this village for just one day.”

When Yeomyeong said that, no one objected in advance. And after a while, the innkeeper came with a tray.

On the platter were flat breads and chunks of meat dripping with fat, and it smelled of a peculiar spice I had never smelled on Earth.

It was a smell that made your mouth water, and the young employee smiled and said, seeming pleased with the attention from his group.

“The pride of our Hwansamdeunggul Inn….”

At that moment, Miri intercepted his conversation.

“… It’s steamed bean curd.”

“Oh, an outsider knows our tribe’s traditional cuisine.”

“I know the recipe. It’s a fried flatbread that has not been fermented, then topped with meat cooked in the fat of animal kidneys and sprinkled with a lot of spices unique to the Elven forest. Right?”

“You know exactly what you’re talking about!”

The young man, smiling brightly, put down his fork and knife and explained the traditions of the dish and how to eat it, and even brought us a free drink as a bonus. I guess you have to do this much for guests who know the culture.

After a while, Miri said after confirming that the innkeeper had left.

“This is elf cooking.”

“… .”

“It’s a recipe our ancestors made for the forest people. But what? A traditional dish of the tribe…?”

In advance, he crushed the fork he was holding.

Still angry, she looked at the kitchen with eyes that looked like she was going to smash an employee’s head in at any moment. Fortunately, there was no blood, thanks to Yeomyeong pinching her cheek.

“I would like to ask in the name of the Secretary General, Comrade, in advance. Is it okay to get angry at a meal or not?”

“… No, Comrade Secretary.”

Only then did Miri realize that the group was watching her, and she apologized to them and personally served them the drinks. With Neti’s words that this was nothing compared to Seti’s hysterics, the group began to eat.

But it wasn’t as cheerful a meal as I had expected. The bean curd stew didn’t taste very… good.

“Wow, this is so gross. Yeomyeong, do you have any cola?”

“Brother-in-law, I’m hot sauce.”

“Disciple, I’m sorry, but please give me some cola too.”

“…Mr. Sandwich, can you just bring me a sandwich?”

Yeomyeong had already taken out the gochujang and was eating it. Maybe it was because the meat was steamed in oil, but it was much greasy than I thought.

Actually, I ate it well in advance because it was delicious… Well, anyway.

After finishing their meal, the group went up to the second floor and went to their rooms. For a room that cost $400 a night, the beds were crappy and the paid showers weren’t that great either, but it was better than sleeping outside.

It didn’t take long until night. At least it was short enough to undress the dawn.

-Just kisses today.

Let’s just monopolize the dawn for a moment.

It was time for two moons to rise above the Elven Forest, and for the drunken laughter of the Red Star Children to echo throughout the village.

After confirming that it was dark outside, Yeomyeong took out her transparent cloak and prepared to walk around the village with Somi. No matter what, she was planning to get information from this village.

But unfortunately, Yeomyeong and Miri never went out the window.

Doo doo doo doo – !!

Because of the sudden gunshot sound outside the window?

-Here it is! Here’s the guy!

Or maybe it was because of the loud shouting coming from right outside the inn?

No, it wasn’t. The reason Yeomyeong and Miri stopped walking was because of the refreshing scent that was so pleasant that it made their noses bleed.

“…the scent of the World Tree’s crystals.”

What the hell are these guys? As Dawn, who had taken off his transparent cloak, looked out the window, soldiers with guns at the entrance of the inn were swearing at him.

“Mana reaction check! It’s an elf! There’s a real elf!!”

Yeomyeong reflexively looked at Miri. However, the guy’s gun was not aimed at Miri… It was Yeomyeong.

“That guy! That guy is the one with the World Tree’s mana!”