Chapter 192 – Reasons to Move On.
“Add grilled Dvayaka!”
“Three bottles of Arak!”
“Here’s a baklazan pie!”
The inn’s work was more arduous and hectic than Usher thought. It was difficult to memorize the names of Parz’s food because it was new to them, but customers shouted orders from here and there every day, and Usher could not keep his eyes open just by writing down their orders and sending them to the kitchen. When he worked, he even forgot the stabbing pain in his body.
“Huh? This isn’t what I ordered?”
“Ugh, sorry.”
Still, it was something I wasn’t used to, so no matter how much I concentrated, I couldn’t help making mistakes from time to time.
Haha! That’s right! If you’re busy, you might make mistakes!”
For some reason, Usher was unfamiliar with people who were forgiving generously. It must be a good thing, but I don’t know why it feels uncomfortable.
“Hey, did you hear the news? I heard an envoy came from the Holy Land?”
“What? After kicking out the harpies, didn’t you do any outside activities?”
“I don’t know. I guess it’s been sorted out now.”
Most of the guests were busy chatting with each other, so other than that, we were able to get by, but the problem was the occasional strange guest at dinner rather than lunch.
“Let’s have a drink together when we have time.”
There were cases where a drunken man grabbed his wrist and refused to let go, so work was delayed because he refused to let go.
“Heheung, is my lady popular?”
Because of this, he hated Nausicaa for teasing him from time to time, but she hired him anyway, so Usher kept her mouth shut and worked. Despite all these twists and turns, he somehow managed to adapt to the inn’s work, and it was almost a month before he knew it. And when dinner had passed and the guests had left, Usher took off his shoes to soothe his weary body by sitting on a nearby chair in the barely free time. Feeling the air freshen his feet that had been overworked all day, he looked down and saw the pale green uniform skirt covering his legs.
“If we have enough money, we should buy a new uniform as soon as possible.”
I was so busy with work that I forgot about it, but whenever I do this, the sense of shame that comes to me is so great. At least, I felt less hot even with the bandage wrapped around the air coming under the skirt, but if I tried to remove the skirt thinking that this was not something.
“What, what are you doing!?”
A hand jutted out from the side and grabbed Usher’s hand. The one who grabbed his hand was Nausicaa, whose face was stained red.
“Why?”
“Why? You’re so careless!”
She shouted as Usher asked, frowning at the pain that gripped her wrist. But he couldn’t understand Nausicaa’s words. I just want to see the condition of my legs, so why do I need to be cautious? When Usher looked at her sullenly, Nausicaa shook her head even though she put on a sad expression as if she thought of something about her.
“Anyway, it won’t work! If you’re going to do it, do it in your room!”
“Then let go of your hand.”
She barely held it in, but whether her strength was strong or he was weak, Nausicaa’s grip on her wrist felt as if it would break.
“Oh, sorry!”
Then Usher swallowed a sigh as she hurriedly let go of her hand. Nausicaa watched him with a guilty expression on her face, so she decided to go up to her own room first. If you’re going to be tough, you’ll have to be tough to the end. He left her behind and went back to her room where she was staying, and as she lay down, Nausicaa unwrapped the bandage that was wrapped around her hand, and saw her blue bruises along with her small scars. Revealed She clutched at her own wrist, complaining of pain as she swallowed her anger, not knowing where it was headed.
I just got used to working in a restaurant. His body was still not as good as before. It was while he was covering his eyes with his hand and holding back the tears that were pouring out.
“Are you sleeping?”
Knock Knock Krikaliev’s voice came along with a knock on his door. But Usher didn’t answer him. I just wanted to lie down on the bed and disappear as if I was falling asleep.
“Hmm, are you really sleeping?”
He seemed to be going to see if he thought he was asleep.
– Deed Deed Deed Deed Deed Dede Deuk!
If it wasn’t for the frantic knocking on the door. I was astonished at what on earth knocked on the door and it sounded like it was grinding, and when the loud sound echoed through the room, I had no choice but to get out of bed and open the door.
“You were awake as well.”
“Ugh, what’s going on?”
When asked what the hell was going on to wake him up even though he was pretending to be asleep, he pretended to be holding him. In one hand he was holding a wooden pot with small holes and two wooden poles to which strings were hung.
“It’s nothing, let’s go fishing.”
“Tomorrow?”
“No, right now, right now, immediately.”
“Tonight?”
What kind of person wakes up someone who is about to sleep and asks them to go fishing?
“Originally, fishing is better at night. Isn’t tomorrow your day off anyway?”
“…I’m tired.”
Actually, I wasn’t that tired. Still, my stamina increased little by little, so it wasn’t to the extent that I would fall asleep as soon as I lay down. Krikaliev asked Usher.
“Who’s the boss here?”
“Nausicaa’s sister.”
“Who made this inn?”
“…Uncle.”
I couldn’t help but notice it when I listened to the exchange between Nausicaä and him from time to time. Usher quietly put the bandage back on his hand.
“Come out.”
“Yes.”
When I left the room with him and went down to the first floor, I ran into Nausicaa who had just finished cleaning up the store.
“Are you going fishing?”
“So, are you going too?”
As if it was something that usually happens, she seemed to be pondering for a while before opening her mouth.
“It’s fine for today. Have a good trip.”
Nausicaa, who was about to go up to her room, saw Usher and crossed her arms.
“You didn’t mean to go that way, did you?”
“Ah.”
Usher noticed he was still in his uniform.
“But I don’t have my clothes right now.”
He had no clothes to wear, so he was sleeping with only bandages on, or he was alternately wearing a uniform with the same design. Usher said with a feeling that he was just fine.
“Then fishing is over. Now go to bed.”
“It doesn’t matter because you have extra money! Are you going to take it out of your paycheck if it gets dirty or torn?”
“…”
I wanted to say it was an act, but I couldn’t say anything because I owed a lot to them. So Usher left the inn with Krikaliev.
“Dvayaka is good, but catch a lot of Tebrani!”
“Then there’s no reason why Tebrani is expensive.”
“That’s what the horse says! The horse!”
In the middle of the night, Parz was so bright that it didn’t seem like it was night. The land of Parz was white, even the sand, the rocks, and the buildings, so it seemed as bright as the day when it received the moonlight and starlight. Was it because he had never been out in such a state? The wind blowing under her skirt was unfamiliar and embarrassing, but it was fortunate that no one was around.
“We’ve arrived.”
“Here is…”
Krikaliev brought him to the place where Usher had first awakened. Unaware of his complicated mind, Krikaliev sat down, setting up the portable chairs he had brought with him.
“What tongue? Sit down.”
At Krikaliev’s urging, he reluctantly sat down and handed Usher the fishing rod he had brought.
“Can’t you put the bait on?”
“A bait?”
“That’s what I use when catching fish.”
“What’s the bait?”
“Look for yourself.”
Usher couldn’t help but freak out when he saw the little barrel he was holding out.
“That’s bait?!”
“Be quiet. All the fish run away.”
Usher frowned as he covered his bruise with his hand. That’s because in the wooden barrel he held out, there were worms with rough-looking bodies wriggling and intertwining with each other.
“How do you put it on?”
“Look at how it fits.”
As if showing off to Usher, he brought the needle attached to the end of the thread attached to the fishing rod. Then, when the needle was inserted into the mouth of the earthworm, the body of the earthworm bent into a needle shape, and eventually the needle protruded from its side. While Usher was speechless at the sight, he threw it straight into the water. A little above the needle was a round glowing stone, which floated in the air without sinking in the water at all. By its appearance, Usher could tell that it was no ordinary stone.
“Could that be a floating stone?”
“Okay, if you want the floating stone to bounce a little like this, pull out the fishing rod and catch a fish.”
I wondered if I could barely use an expensive item like a floating stone for fishing, but I decided to think it would be different because it was Parz.
“So can you put the bait on?”
Usher listened to Krikaliev’s words and looked again at the barrel he was holding, but seeing the swarming things only gave him goosebumps.
“I can’t even touch you.”
“Draw? Then just hold on.”
He hands Usher the fishing rod he threw into the water and puts the bait on his rod. Usher, who took the fishing rod at random, had to watch him fishing with his rod. Amidst the sound of the water slowly flowing, only two floating stones floating on the quiet surface of the water glowing softly. Not one of them was catching a fish, passing the time in silence. If it was like this, I wondered why he had brought him here. Slowly he fell asleep from boredom and yawned when Krikaliev rummaged through the basket and took out a pottery bottle.
“Is that alcohol?”
“Yes, it is Arak.”
According to Nausicaa, Arak was a fairly expensive drink. It is unknown when and by whom it was made, but the recipe is widely spread in many countries, including Parz, but the most famous place is said to be Parsipenia. When Usher, depressed again, lowered his head, Krikaliev tapped him on the shoulder.
“Why?”
“Would you like a drink too?”
Raising his head, he saw the cup he held out in front of his nose. The alcohol called Arak seemed familiar to Usher. It was as transparent as water, like the alcohol I accidentally drank in the forest, but when I put my nose to it, it had the same pungent smell and a strong sense of rejection that came up. But why? Usher didn’t feel objectionable to the smell today, so he took it involuntarily. As he closes his eyes and inhales at once, a cold energy seems to ride down his throat, then it burns hotly.
“…Why do grown-ups drink this?”
My stomach was sore and disgusted with the sensation as if I had swallowed a hot fire. It tasted fruity like Yell, but it wasn’t sweet, and the sharp scent that numbed the nose was painful, so I couldn’t understand why adults paid money to drink it.
“I think you already know.”
“I don’t know. How do I know. It’s such a bad feeling.”
Her head was spinning and her mouth seemed to be about to open on its own. It makes me feel bad that I am scratching my head over and over again with things from the past randomly coming up and then disappearing. Also, he couldn’t understand adults. Even though I only drank from a really small glass, I feel so bad. Said Krikaliev, as Usher was somehow restraining himself from speaking uncontrollably.
“You don’t want to be an adult yet.”
“That’s not it.”
“Or what?”
“I want to become an adult soon. Then I will become stronger and bigger so that I can protect Belka.”
Yeah, that’ll stop the other guys from trying to hurt the girl. Because Belka won’t have to cry.
“But no matter how hard I try, I can’t do it. I’m still short and my strength is getting weaker, and I couldn’t protect Belka again.”
No matter how hard they tried, no matter how desperate they were, they raped the girl without incident. I even thought I could protect her with just a little effort. Far from protecting her from her illness, he was spared only by Belka’s sacrifice.
“Even then, I shamelessly kicked Belka.”
It shouldn’t have been Like her fool, the fact that her girl sacrificed herself was so painful that she abandoned her and ran away because she hated her helpless self. He was more loving than anyone else, and he was still lovable, and he threw away her hand that made her heart ache. It was painful to remember that fact over and over again. In the desire to leave everything and run away, he even let go of the girl he shouldn’t have missed.
“What should I do now…?”
How could he protect the girl? Did he protect the girl in the first place? Those questions and regrets stabbed him again and again.
