76
snowstorm
I ran out of Nova’s room and took a walk around the castle.
The residents were all moving briskly as if their feet were on fire. The atmosphere had changed drastically in just one day.
‘There are no bad medieval guys. There are only less hit medieval guys.’
I nodded, recalling a medieval quote that has never been wrong.
There was still a smell in the streets, but it was much less than before. There were also guys who were shouting and enthusiastic about cleaning.
I tried to catch people who were fighting or causing trouble while walking around and use them as fidget spinners, but no one really caught me.
Everyone was laughing.
Wherever I went, laughter was heard.
‘It’s not fun.’
At that moment, Skane and George’s children with bruises on their faces passed by, smiling brightly and even putting their arms around each other’s shoulders.
When I tasted it, he was so startled that he jumped in time and disappeared.
Still, just in case, I kept my eyes wide open and looked for a suitable fidget spinner, but I couldn’t catch any.
Then, I got stopped by some middle-aged women passing by and had to talk to them.
“So this bastard is head over heels in love with the new prostitute…! He doesn’t even take his clothes off at home?!”
“Then how many times should I beat you?”
“Hey- no matter how much you want to kill someone, actually killing them is a bit much.”
Even though he complained, when I told him to catch him and hit him a few times, he shook his head in horror.
I didn’t know what he wanted, but since handling citizen complaints was one of the duties of the security guard, I nodded my head in agreement.
If you responded, they gave you delicious bread, and it was quite fun to listen to other people’s stories, so it wasn’t bad.
“And I heard that Aaron’s popularity among girls is rising these days?”
“Of course. You’re handsome.”
“oh!!”
The ladies laughed out loud at my answer. They say that a handsome man laughs no matter what you say.
I made my eyes look serious for no reason. Then the ladies burst into laughter as if they were going to collapse. Judging from their reactions, it was clear that he was very handsome.
“But is that true? That Aaron has a daughter?”
“Huh? What the hell is that···.”
“I heard that pretty girl in that Hannah’s house is Aaron’s daughter? She said so herself.”
I naturally thought of Kanna’s face. I stood up from my seat, wondering what to say in response.
The ladies handed me a few more loaves of bread, and I stuffed them into my mouth and walked back around the castle.
The biggest problem with Cassidy Castle was the collapsed outer wall. One whole section had collapsed, and even after several days, it had not changed at all.
‘Anyway, you have to understand that medieval guys are slow at work.’
I briefly wondered if there was a famous saying that went something like, ‘There are no slow medieval guys, only less hit medieval guys.’
According to Nova, the lord was planning to build the walls bigger and stronger now that they had collapsed, but judging by the way they were doing it now, it seemed like it would take at least a hundred years.
He was the leader of the outer wall guard, so it wasn’t someone else’s business.
I headed towards the broken wall.
Around the castle walls, men with their colorful upper bodies exposed were carrying stones.
As I approached them, they moved twice as fast as if they had been hit with a stimulant. I gestured to a familiar face among them.
“Aaron! Long time no see!”
It was a stubborn looking stonemason named Phelps.
He was a skilled stonemason who built a roof so strong that it wouldn’t collapse even if heavily armed, pest inquisitors climbed on it.
I asked Phelps a few questions about the walls.
Phelps was grumbling that clearing away the rubble of the wall was slow because he had too few hands.
“These days, kids only have the wrong things in their heads. They don’t do hard, sweaty work, and just hang out in the back alleys. If that’s the case, then come and help me out with this…”
At Phelps’s words, I nodded, thinking of the guys who fight in the back alleys. Skane went to work at the carpenter’s shop, but George needed to live a little more constructively.
“I’ll take care of the kids.”
“Oh- thank you. As expected from Aaron.”
Phelps pointed to a large boulder behind him and said that it was what was stopping their progress.
Originally, the castle walls were made by placing usable stones on the outside, filling the inside with smaller stones, and then fixing them with rough plaster. However, it was said that they were having trouble with some of the stones that had hardened particularly hard.
When I looked where Phelps was pointing, there was a huge boulder the size of two people combined. Next to it were two men swinging hammers, but they looked listless, as if they hadn’t eaten.
Looking at him, I felt frustrated for no reason and stepped forward.
The bastards made a face, then saw that it was me and screamed as they backed away.
It was an uneasy reaction, but we tried to endure it because we were medieval people who lived hard.
‘It’s really big.’
When I stood in front of the stone, I saw that its size was incredibly huge.
I hesitated for a moment because I felt it was solid just by looking at it, but I was willing to give it a try and give up if it didn’t work.
He brought the hammer to the target and struck it with all his might.
Then, the needle, which was as big as a person’s forearm, was embedded so deeply that it was no longer visible. The stone shook as a spider web spread out around the needle.
‘Oh… This tastes good.’
I held the hammer handle with both hands and struck it hard.
Kwaaaaang-!
With a heavy sound, the spider web on the stone grew thicker and then soon dispersed.
Kuung-.
Then, the stone collapsed and Park Hyeokgeose was born.
‘Is this possible?’
I looked at the finely chopped stone and exclaimed in admiration.
His muscles still twitched with overflowing strength.
It was a suitable exercise that I found at a time when I was an unfitting, diligent person with nowhere to put my strength.
“Is there more?”
The stonemasons around me lowered their eyes without answering my question. Only Phelps pointed to the side with a trembling finger.
When I turned my head towards him, there were quite a few thick boulders, although they weren’t as big as rocks just now.
This seemed like a decent amount of exercise.
I adjusted my hammer and made a face like a stonemason would make.
Breaking rocks was quite fun because you could see the results right away.
The stonemasons next to him looked at him with blank expressions. When I said to them, ‘It’s just an inevitable difference in talent,’ they looked at me with a look of disgust on their faces.
If I was going to watch, I would go to Ha-na’s and tell her my name and have her bring me some iced beer.
The fun was doubled when he drank ice beer while breaking rocks. The stonemasons simply put down their hammers and went around busily, clearing away the stone chips.
I couldn’t stop hammering as Phelps and a stonemason sat next to me, cheering me on with their heartfelt encouragement.
As I swung the hammer until the sun set, there were quite a few people watching. They all looked tired, but among them were two familiar guys sipping beer.
“The foreman is working, what are you doing instead of working?”
“Oh, you were Captain Aaron? I thought you were a legendary stonemason who only comes once in a hundred years. Or maybe a dwarf king. But you’re so tall, I was having trouble deciding.”
As Kel was answering while grumbling, I threw a small rock at him, and he fell backwards in shock. I found it funny and laughed.
“A big guy is scared of a small rock.”
“If the leader throws it, even that small stone is a weapon! A weapon! Aaaah!”
It was funny to see him freak out like someone had pointed a gun at him, so I pretended to throw it, and Kel screamed and ran around.
“It’s not much, but it’s our sincerity. Thanks to you, the work has been done a week faster, so don’t feel pressured···.”
“What a burden.”
I quickly grabbed the pouch that Phelps offered me.
When I checked inside, there were ten silver coins.
It seemed like they had gathered it all together.
I only took two of them and gave the rest back. I did it for fun, so the price of an iced beer was enough.
“···Why this again?”
“If the roof collapses later, use it to pay for repairs.”
Phelps tilted his head at my words, but didn’t bother explaining.
One day, a large, black, short-haired cat will fall from the ceiling and you’ll realize it.
I waved my hand and headed towards Ha-na-ne.
Berman and Kel followed along naturally.
“I heard that you’ve made a lot of money lately, Captain?”
“so.”
“Ahem… Rosa has been gloomy lately because she hasn’t had any customers, so in a situation like this, it’s her duty as the team leader… Aah!!”
I grabbed Kel’s ear while he was talking nonsense and pulled it hard. Kel’s hands started shaking. I pushed him hard. Kel rolled around in the mud and screamed loudly.
“Did things go well?”
“Well, that’s true.”
“I knew the leader was strong, but I didn’t know he was strong enough to beat up a knight.”
We headed to Hannah’s while enjoying Berman’s social life.
When I opened the door and went in, all the tables were pushed to the side and there was a pile of stones in the middle. Kanna was crouching down in front of it, doing something, and next to her, Kuabarou was applauding in admiration.
‘It really was them.’
A small statue of Deokgu, worth 5 silver each, came to mind and he shook his head slightly.
‘Opening a goods business in the Middle Ages…’
Hannah had an incredible sense of smell for money.
“Ah! Aaron is here?”
Hannah came out from inside, smiling brightly. In her hand was a very delicately carved stone statue.
“This is… a new business that I’m starting while practicing my Kanna magic.”
Hanna smiled shyly and handed me a heavy pouch.
“Hey, are you really scraping together money?”
Ignoring Kel’s crooked cheers, I quickly packed my pockets.
“After all, repetitive tasks are the best for magic training.”
I said solemnly, putting the bag inside.
“Director, do you know about magic?”
“no.”
Kel’s eyes widened at my answer. Kel opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but then swallowed it.
“Kel and Berman are here too? Come this way!”
“Haena is always so beautiful. If only she hadn’t been the captain…”
“Oh my! Kel is ugly, so no!”
“That’s right. Kel, you’re ugly.”
Kel opened his eyes wide again and looked at me, his mouth wide, but I shook my fist slightly and he swallowed.
Kanna put down the stone and ran towards me. Kanna was covered in gray powder from playing with stones. I blocked her lightly, but Kanna moved strangely and avoided my hand, and managed to stick to my right leg.
“Oooh- the perfect application of wind magic!!”
“Oh my! Is that so great?! Kanna is Kanna!”
Kua Ba Rou, who was amazed by my sincerity, and Ha Na, who immediately clapped her hands and liked me. Even Kanna, who buried her face in my leg.
‘It’s so noisy.’
At that moment, a washing machine wearing an apron, who had really turned into a chef, came out and used magic on me and Kanna. It was too much for two people, so Hogu1, who was next to me, caught her as she fell.
“Come here, Aaron.”
Since Kanna didn’t fall, I had to walk unsteadily. The place Hanna guided me to was underground, and it was quite well-decorated. There were passengers there.
“Choooooooooooooooooooooo!! All glory to Father Aaron!!”
The weasel that had spotted me jumped up as if struck by lightning and gave a powerful, burdensome salute.
‘···Did I hit you too hard?’
There was something strange about the child’s eyes. Her eyes weren’t usually that good, but now they were out of focus.
‘Should I try hitting it the other way?’
The weasel immediately knelt down and raised both hands. He bowed, which was excessive, like meeting the emperor, but no one tried to stop him.
Grass and Brick, who were sitting next to him, tried to get the weasel to sit back down on the chair, but the weasel stubbornly continued to bow.
Ignoring the weasel, I sat down with my crew.
The three Hogu men brought food and beer.
At that moment, Kanna gathered the beer glasses in the center and climbed up onto the table.
I felt terribly uneasy seeing him place his beer mugs in a circle around himself and look at me with a confident expression.
“Kanna. Are you going to show me that?”
Next to him, Kua Ba Rou approached and asked with a serious face, handing him a small bucket. Kanna accepted it and nodded vigorously.
“Whew… I’m in a scene from history….”
The sight of Kuobarou muttering with a serious face only added to the anxiety.
Kanna put the bucket on her head and raised both hands into fists.
There were several holes in the bucket, and through them I could see Kanna’s eyes full of guns. When Kanna looked at me with slightly nervous eyes, I tried to suppress my anxiety and nodded.
I don’t know why there was a hole in the mouth area, but I could see that Kanna was biting her lips tightly.
The surroundings became quiet at Kanna’s reserved appearance.
The weasel that was bowing looked up at Kanna with eyes like a father who followed the school festival.
‘What on earth······.’
The more Kanna held onto the weight, the more anxious she became.
After a while, Kanna opened her small fist and-.
Ice in the air… no…
‘snowflake?’
Snowflakes were sprayed from Kanna’s palm like snow spray. I couldn’t help but be amazed at the sight of snow falling indoors.
However, it didn’t end there.
Kanna then slightly shook her hand.
Then suddenly the wind started blowing.
Soon, a snowstorm began to blow around Kanna.
Countless snowflakes swirled around as if Kanna was the center of a whirlpool.
and-.
A snowstorm occurred indoors. I couldn’t help but gape at its heterogeneous and splendid appearance.
‘All I want is one fall······.’
A song came to my head as the blizzard swept by.
Finally, Kanna waved her hand and the snowstorm slowly parted.
Kanna’s body trembled as if she was concentrating as much as possible. Seeing her serious look, I unconsciously sweated and cheered her on.
The split snowstorm moved to Kanna’s gestures-.
It soon settled into the beer glass.
‘······crazy.’
It was a strange sight that was indescribable… literally magical.
Even Hannah, who would normally have clapped her hands and cheered, “Kanna, it’s Kanna!”, just stared blankly with her eyes wide open.
No, not just Hannah, everyone was shocked.
Everyone from the weasels to the crew members just stared at the falling snowflakes with their mouths wide open.
On a hot summer day, you create a snowstorm indoors and use it to fill a beer mug with ice…
‘···Why are you doing this?’
As the mind that had been dazzled by beauty returned, questions filled its place.
Sure, it was great for eye candy, but I wondered why they had to summon a blizzard to fill a beer mug. After all, you’re just putting ice in a beer mug, right?
As I thought about that, I looked down at my beer glass, and there was a lump of ice among the snowflakes that had landed. The moment I saw my face carved into the lump of ice, I realized.
‘I gave you the White Tower Wizard, but instead of being a wizard, you became the best clown on the continent.’
…Why?
Unanswerable questions filled my head.
I knew it was wrong, but where did it start to go wrong for the child to become like this…
“You really did it!! Such perfect wind control and such delicate ice control! This is truly a stroke of genius for a wizard···.”
Seeing Kuobarou screaming with bloodshot eyes, I realized that the teacher who gave me that name was wrong in the first place.
After a while, Kanna, who had just finished her snow show, fell backwards, and Hana quickly hugged her.
Although my feelings were complicated, I couldn’t help but nod my head at the sight of Kanna looking at me with anxious eyes like a child being checked for homework.
‘Yeah, the kid did what he wanted to do… and as a result, the beer became cold…’
I raised my thumb. Then Kanna followed suit, raised both thumbs, and closed her eyes.
Hannah disappeared with Kanna, and the excited Kuabarou followed her, muttering praises for Kanna.
“All glory to Bora and Aaron!!”
The silence created by the afterglow of the snowstorm show was broken by the cry of a weasel. When I frowned and gestured to him, he closed his mouth and quickly sat down.
It got noisy again and we drank beer and listened to stories from the past.
I asked the guys who had cursed at me, and my crew members answered as if they had been waiting for me.
I emptied my beer while keeping those names firmly in my head.
It seemed like I wouldn’t be bored for a while.
***
Knock knock.
As soon as I woke up, I looked for a sword.
Only after feeling the cold touch of the sword did I feel at ease.
I took a deep breath before opening the door.
“It’s a good morning to pray.”
“Yes. What.”
The abbot still had a stern expression on his face, but he looked more tired than usual. It seemed to be because there had been many casualties in the recent raid.
‘If you’re tired, just rest a bit. Why did you come here at dawn to see people…?’
“If you rest because you are tired, you are not a human being, but an animal. Since ancient times, a human being should not give up because the situation is bad, but should somehow endure and overcome it. If you do not collapse, it will be an ordeal, but the moment you collapse, it will become despair.”
The ghostly abbot was mumbling to himself as if he had read my mind. In any case, he was a consistent man who made both himself and others tired.
‘If only it weren’t for that consistency…’
I grumbled softly and went to Choco’s room to wake him up, then headed out to the backyard.
“Today will be really different.”
Choco took a stance and said the usual lines.
Judging from the sharp momentum, it seemed like he had worked hard, but…
“···why?”
Choco, who had fallen to the ground, expressed his doubts in a leaky voice.
The strength had become abnormally strong. The skill had increased as he risked his life in actual combat and practiced swordsmanship. The gap with Choco was bound to widen further.
At this point, I would have been discouraged···.
“Next time it will be different.”
Vermunt’s eyes were rather burning with heat.
It wasn’t the fifth star for nothing.
If it had been broken at this level from the beginning, it wouldn’t have made it to the twentieth time, let alone the fifth.
“hmm···.”
I neither denied nor confirmed.
At that time, Vermunt, who had been treated by the abbot, attacked again.
The results were similar, but Vermunt’s eyes were still fixed on me.
‘Now that I think about it, I’ve become quite strong.’
After clashing with Vermunt a few times, this fact became even more apparent.
When I was in the desert, I was always getting beat up by Vermunt, but now I could use it as a substitute for a fidget spinner.
‘Because a lot has happened.’
He nodded.
The abbot, who had recited a short prayer, told me to be sure to attend the service.
When training the weasels, he received help from the abbot on the condition of receiving worship, so he had to keep his promise.
Then, I received a magic spell from the washing machine that came over and drank the beer with lots of ice that Kanna gave me. Then, I went in alone and ate the meat bread that was quite delicious while listening to Hannah’s business plan.
“This is the perfect time to expand the business since there are so many broken places! This time, I’m going to specialize in alcohol. I have enough manpower and a lot of money saved up, so I’m going to make it the biggest pub in Catholic Castle!!”
Hannah, who had been quietly approaching, continued speaking in a soft voice. Hannah tried to touch his body clumsily, but unfortunately, her touch was blocked by his shoulder blade.
“The name of the bar that will be the landmark of this year’s Cassadic is… The Awesome Aaron Rabbit!! How about it? It’s great!”
“Why is my name.”
“···I’ll give you shares! Shares!”
In response to my question, Hana waved her hand urgently and said something about ‘shares’. As I watched her strange hand gestures that didn’t match her bright smile, my head started hurting, so I nodded roughly.
“Wow-!! It’s Aaron after all! Now it’s 25 Cooper! 25 Cooper!!”
“Didn’t you say 20 Cooper last time?”
“Oh my, I remembered! Aaron… You were paying attention even if you pretended not to.”
I got up from my seat, coughing in vain at Hannah’s incongruous, sly smile.
The sun was rising, so it was time to go to work.
“Then 18 Cooper! 18!”
I couldn’t help but laugh along with the laughter I heard behind me.
***
“The guy I caught yesterday is from the ‘Black Blood’ group.”
Dante, the leader of Karzan’s organization ‘Lone Wolf’, frowned. He had heard of black blood.
It was a group of all sorts of dirty people, from followers of the devil to vicious criminals. Unlike other devil-related groups, it was easy to join, so its power grew very quickly.
‘You weren’t originally active like this?’
In Karzan, it was not unusual for a few people to die each day, but the seriousness of the situation has been brought to light recently with the discovery of strange corpses.
Corpses that have had their blood sucked out or have no heart or liver.
It was a far cry from the corpses usually found in Karzan.
Recently, damage was reported in the ‘Lone Wolf’ area, so we conducted our own investigation and caught one of the hideous-looking guys.
The result of interrogating him was ‘black blood’.
‘It’s tricky. You need a knight to deal with those related to the devil···.’
It was rare for a knight to be corrupt enough to receive money from an organization, so it took a lot of effort.
“Second-class manager Shoney suggested that we call him···.”
“no!!”
At the following report, Dante jumped up as if in a fit and shouted.
The subordinates next to him opened their eyes wide and looked up at Dante. The surprise was even greater because Dante was someone who never showed any change in emotion.
Phew···.
Dante took a deep breath to calm his pounding heart.
Just hearing the word ‘that’ made my head spin and my hands tremble.
“I don’t know about anything else, but I will hold off on calling him until the very end.”
Dante could still clearly see the burning Karzan. He was the man who had turned Karzan into that in just one day. Calling him to stop the black blood was as stupid as burning down a house to catch bugs.
The manager of the show kept asking to invite him because he couldn’t see him clearly, but Dante desperately tried to dissuade him.
‘Absolutely not, unless that bug is really hard to catch and eats all of Karzan.’
Dante nodded with a stern expression. If he were to see that hideous face again, his life would surely be shortened.
“First, arrange a meeting with other organizations. Now is not the time to fight over a bowl of rice. I’m sure they’ll all agree. And contact Manager Shone and ask him to help with the meeting.”
Dante desperately racked his brain to find a solution.
So that you never call him again.
As he said, I had to do it ‘well’ on my own.
‘Take care of it···.’
Dante continued to mutter, biting his fingernails in impatience.
It was a vague, difficult, and hair-raising word, but I had to do it somehow.
***
“Derartor, he made additional demands?”
Pahant, the ‘Cruel Sixth Star’, nodded to the cracked voice of Ethan, the ‘Prime Star’.
“This fucking empire… looks at us like shit.”
Ethan’s cracked voice dripped with deep hatred, but Pahant knew it was just a disguise for helplessness.
The star was eventually captured by the empire and fell to the ground.
The star that fell to the ground was nothing more than a stone. A stone that was pointed at because it was a different color from others.
‘The stomach doesn’t swell, but···.’
Unlike others who lost their country and burned with hatred every day, the cool-headed Pahant knew that joining the Empire was a better option.
Although they became imperial subjects, their people no longer suffered from war and famine.
That’s why Pahant was grateful to Aaron, but he didn’t show it.
“I can’t stand it anymore! Top Star! Just give me the order and I’ll bring that villain’s head back!”
The other stars were furious and raucous.
Due to their nature of having to hold a sword from a young age in the harsh desert environment, they were all warriors regardless of gender, so if they were to face Duke Descartes, their numbers would be no less…
‘The most important article is missing.’
Although it was incorporated into the empire, the cunning emperor set conditions.
Although Ethan was under the command of the Marquis, he was prohibited from recruiting knights, unlike other nobles.
In the Kingdom of Byzant, the knights of the Empire were somehow able to hold off the Mercury advantage and the harsh desert environment, but now it was different.
Even if we fought the duke without any knights, it was clear that we would lose without being able to capture even one castle.
There, the young and talented chief star scattered the stars he did not like all over the continent under the pretext of forming a mercenary force.
If the Supreme Star wanted to fight the peacock, he had to gather the scattered stars first.
He cursed and boiled over with determination, but eventually he moved on to the next topic. It was no different from usual.
In the first place, there were no people here who had truly received the title of star.
Meaningless meetings continued.
The next agenda was Pahant’s.
There will be strong opposition, but…
“The warrant for him must be canceled. He has over 200 gold coins that have been thrown away so far.”
He was a man who had already been declared dead in the empire.
There was no need to waste money and maintain the wanted status.
It was nothing but stubbornness and a vain obsession with the destruction of the kingdom.
And the Marquis of Ethan could not afford such an expensive obsession.
“The ruthless sixth star. That story again. The wanted list remains. He’s dead? Then bring me his body. In that case, I’ll cancel the wanted list.”
Ethan, the first star, declared in a trembling voice, as if he was barely holding back his anger or his fear.
If it had been normal, I would have backed down at this point, but the finances were now at their limit.
I couldn’t back out here.
“There is no money to maintain the wanted list. Since the stars have scattered to various places, the number of requests I can receive has decreased significantly, and the level of requests I can perform is also poor. If this continues, the treasury will be empty before the end of the year.”
As soon as Pahant finished speaking, murmurs could be heard here and there.
‘Stupid, useless guys.’
There were no useful stars in this place.
“But there are men out there looking for our brown-skinned women…”
“Sales of sandglasses are also increasing…”
Excuses came from all over the place. Unlike the loud voices that had declared earlier that they would take the lead, they were voices that were crawling out.
After a heavy silence so thick that you could hear someone swallowing, he opened his mouth.
“···Let’s gather the stars again. Then even Descartes won’t laugh at us.”
The star answered in a voice full of fatigue.
Pahant, who had been watching him intently for a while, opened his mouth.
“Are you talking about the brilliant fifth star?”
The atmosphere froze in an instant.
The brilliant fifth star.
It was a name that was almost taboo in front of the highest star.
A man who was closest to the one who destroyed the kingdom, and who was banished to the end of the continent for speaking harshly to the First Star.
Suddenly, the thought occurred to him that he might be kicked out too, but it didn’t matter because the place was going to fail anyway.
‘If possible, I’d like to go to the place with the fifth star.’
He was a stupid but proud man, so he was much better than these contradictory fools.
“···Yes. Let’s call him too. We can make him the vanguard of the territory war.”
It seemed that the hatred towards the man who had destroyed the kingdom was stronger than the stubbornness and stubbornness of the first star.
‘···Well, my parents were killed right in front of my eyes.’
Pahant bowed his head and gave a long bow.
