Chapter 9 – An Old Tradition.
“Usher. Usher.”
“Huh, Belka?”
Had I fallen asleep? When I opened my eyes at the sound of calling his name, I saw Belka wearing a dark red dress looking down at him. Judging by the soft touch on the back of his head, the girl gave him a knee.
“It’s time to go back.”
Listening to Belka’s words, she saw fragments of the sunset shattered through the zelkova trees behind her.
“Oh, when did you fall asleep?”
It was something she always went through when she got along with her Belka, but the time with her felt short, no matter how long. Since she found out that it was sex, she somehow felt shorter, but she couldn’t help it because the girl’s reaction was good. Feeling that there was still a sticky but warm sense of exhilaration left in her own cock, she rubbed her face against her lower belly as if begging her Belka, but the girl firmly refused.
“Not now.”
“I wanted more.”
All of a sudden, he fell asleep while with Belka, which made him depressed.
“I should have woken you up.”
“But Usher looked tired.”
Thinking about it, I remembered that today he had come after working hard to get ready to leave town. He must have been more tired than usual from helping the woodcutter and carrying a full load of fire starters for the festival. He didn’t feel it at all when he was with Belka, and he wasn’t even aware he was asleep.
“You can’t overdo it.”
Usher felt a smile on his face at Belka’s worrying nagging. What if he asks her girl to leave this place with her? Usher was full of desire to ask him directly even now, but in the end he couldn’t get it out of his mouth. That’s right, he didn’t even mention it to Belka, even though he had already made plans to leave together. In case the girl said that she would stay here and that she would not leave with him, he still kept those words in his heart.
“Then I’ll go now.”
“Huh.”
Usher couldn’t get the word out even today and had no choice but to turn around. That was the moment.
“Usher.”
The moment he turned to Belka’s voice calling him, something soft and moist touched his lips.
“I like you.”
At that, Usher could only stare blankly at the girl. After that, Usher came to his senses and found himself standing in front of a house. He seemed to have returned home on his own feet, but he had no detailed memory of how he got back. I literally felt possessed. It wasn’t a bad feeling though. It was the first time Belka ever told him she liked her. I don’t know how shy his secret friend is. Usher opened the door, determined to tell Belka that we should leave together next time. However, the person in it was a very unpleasant opponent.
“Have you been?”
“…Uncle Mac?”
In his house, Mack occupied a room with the idiot. The good feeling of being with Belka seemed to disappear in an instant, so she wondered why he was at her house. Mac continued as if he understood his question.
“I came here because the return time seems to be a little late.”
Usher soon realized that the cause was the girl, and was annoyed. He told me several times to go back, but he didn’t go back, and in the end he even called Mac, who he didn’t want to see. When he glared at her foolishly, she averted his gaze but said nothing. I don’t know if that behavior makes him even more pissed off.
“Rather than that, you know that the mascapir starts the day after tomorrow, right?”
“You do it every year.”
Usher couldn’t understand why he was asking that. It was the festival that people in this village couldn’t help but know about. It was even more strange not to know about the festival held every year around this time. However, Usher did not know what the festival was really about. And it will be the same for other children. That’s right, the festival can’t participate unless you’re an adult. First of all, I knew that it was only done at night when the sun was completely down, that the fire was made big, and that it lasted for about a week, but there was no way that kids like Usher knew any more than that.
“But why did you do that to me?”
“That’s because you can participate from this year.”
“Yes? Really?!”
Among the children, there was a lot of talk about what kind of festival Mascapir was. Some are festivals for monsters, some are festivals for offering sacrifices. There were many children who asked their older brothers and sisters who might know what they were doing at the festival, but no one ever told them. I used to just repeat that it was a rule and I was always told to experience it myself.
“You’re an adult now, too. Even festivals have rules, so you have to follow them.”
Mack’s story begins with the opening of Mascapir in this town. It is said that the village was originally part of a large forest. For that reason, except for one place that becomes the road to the village, all sides are made up of wide forests, and the distance from other villages is far away, so it is a place where outsiders rarely visit. If so, how did the village come to be located in such a place? That’s a long time ago It is said that this forest has existed for a very long time, where it is impossible to even guess when it existed, and it is said that countless all kinds of animals and plants settled in its bosom and did not dare to allow humans to enter.
As usual, woodcutters came to this forest where all they had to do was cut down the necessary trees from the outskirts of the forest. As always, they wanted to cut down trees in the outskirts, and they thought they would be able to cut trees smoothly that day as well. If only it hadn’t been for the urgent voice of someone who had discovered something. “It’s a wolf!” He said. Hearing that sound, they threw away not only the tree they were cutting down, but also the ax and cart they were carrying and tried to run away, but they saw that wolves were already blocking the way out of the forest. It was only then that they realized that they had fallen into a trap by the wolves, as if they had predicted their actions and blocked their way.
Since ancient times, wolves have been known to be cunning. Perhaps they were aware that woodcutter always took wood from similar places. Eventually, they lost their way back and chose to go deeper into the forest. It was a risky gamble, but they all ran inside and inside, thinking it was better than becoming the wolf’s prey on the spot. Not everyone could live. One by one, they were hunted by wolves and other wild animals, leaving only one woodcutter left.
He survived after running and running, but he couldn’t overcome the cold, loneliness, and even the fear of the night. Still, he had to survive, so he walked and walked and walked without knowing where he was headed. His body was very heavy, and he lost his shoes in the process of running away, and sharp stones repeatedly tormented his bare feet, but he continued to walk. The only thing that was fortunate was that the animals in the forest never attacked him, as he became weak. At the end of that step, he heard the sound of water and hurriedly ran. His dry throat from not drinking water for days made him feel even more burning at the sound of the water, and he finally found the valley and together he discovered something he shouldn’t have discovered.
He later said it was a beautiful monster. The beautiful monster kindly treated the woodcutter who was left alone and tried to return it, but it is said that he was unable to return to the outside due to the beasts roaming around the outskirts of the forest. The woodcutter eventually gave up on going back and soon settled down where the beasts couldn’t enter because he was afraid of the beautiful monster. Since then, he has come to save or accept people of similar circumstances whenever they come, and as the scale grows, it is said that this village is now inhabited by Usher and the villagers.
Then one day, the woodcutter asked the beautiful monster as he saw a zelkova tree growing tall and tall even in this forest full of huge trees.
“What is that tree?”
“Where this forest began and my wedge.”
After answering his question like that, the beautiful monster disappeared, and the woodcutter wandered the forest all his life to meet the beautiful monster again, but it is said that he never appeared in front of the woodcutter again. It was said that the Mascapir was made in honor of the beautiful monster.
“Then take care of me tomorrow too! I found some good wood for the festival, and I need a lot of kindling.”
After a long talk, Mac said that and went back with the Fool. Usher chewed on his story again, thinking it was his rule. I don’t know if it really happened because it’s said to have originated, but in the story, the conversation between the woodcutter and the beautiful monster kept getting on his nerves. Like the zelkova tree, is it possible that it is a beautiful monster?
“Let’s ask Belka directly tomorrow.”
With that promise, Usher laid down to go to sleep. The next day, Usher was getting ready to go into the woods with the woodcutters early in the morning. Like yesterday, he was to cut down trees for the festival and find some kindling. Then, when he had some free time, he looked around for a while. What he felt was that there were a lot more people than usual. It’s a small country town anyway, and although Usher lived some distance from town, he didn’t recognize people living in the same town. However, although it was not obvious, there were certain people he did not know among the people who subtly increased without distinguishing between men and women.
“How come the number seems to be greater than the villagers I know.”
“It’s not the same, it’s real.”
The one who answered his muttering was Conner, who was preparing next to him.
“You know that there are villages that sell the trees they dig in our village to other places, right?”
“That’s what.”
According to the adults, there were other villages at the entrance of the forest. I had heard of buying the trees we dig there and selling them elsewhere. Usher thought it was a strange way, but he had been told that it was unavoidable because the town was so remotely located in the woods.
“This is something I heard not too long ago. Instead of paying high prices for trees, they chose some of their villagers to participate in the mascarpir.”
“At a festival in the countryside like this?”
Usher put on a puzzled expression at his words. It’s new to say such a thing, but the village he lives in is a rural area that is hard to find, let alone know. However, as if they were eager to participate in such a rural festival, did they dare to make a deal so that they could select a few people to participate? Now Usher also wondered what kind of festival Mascapir was. Mack had heard the origins and rough rules of the festival, but he had never participated in it himself, so the details were still unknown.
“That’s right.”
Conner shrugged his shoulders as if he agreed. Then, hearing the news that they were leaving for the forest soon, they headed toward the forest with a hard fork on their backs. As they followed the woodcutters who didn’t know where they were going, Usher realized that they were going down a completely different path than yesterday. It didn’t feel irregular like yesterday, but with a clear purpose, going around the village and heading to one place.
“Hehe, how far is the deal going today?”
Said Robert in a weary voice. There were a lot of flat roads yesterday to accuse them of being tough, but now the road they are walking on is quite sloped, so they are consuming more stamina. It would be easier to climb if I put down the weight on my back, but I couldn’t help it because it was necessary for work. It was around the time when I was getting annoyed with the actions of the woodcutters who dared to move a long distance when there were trees all around. Robert grabbed a nearby woodcutter and asked if he could stand it any longer.
“Mister, what are you doing today that you are going so far?”
“Because I found a good tree.”
“A good tree?”
I couldn’t figure out what a good tree meant. First of all, in his words, it was a tree that was good for festivals and especially profitable if sold outside, so Usher decided to follow them without hesitation.
“Aren’t you tired?”
“You’re giving me money.”
“When did you work so hard?”
Even though Robert grumbled, Usher walked steadfastly. As the price of selling trees was high, he could also get a lot of iron coins. He said that he had a place to rest, so he was a business that could be spared if he suffered a little. Because he meant that he could leave this town with Belka that soon. Even so, by the time he gets tired little by little.
“It’s arrived!”
Someone leading the woodcutter in front shouted that. As they climbed the hill, following the voice, Usher sank to the ground, catching his weary breath. He said there was a place to rest, and he was sure of the grass growing there, which was obviously much smaller than the trees. However, Usher felt an eerie feeling of déjà vu. Didn’t he feel it a lot, from the texture of the grass he was sitting on to the scent that was somewhat different from other trees? The moment he realized that, he jumped up from his seat. Because this was a secret place only for him and his girl.
He wanted to think it was an illusion. It had to be an illusion. However, he was saying that the familiar zelkova tree in front of him was not an illusion. Everything was the same to say that it was a different tree with the same kind. The stump of a zelkova tree that is bent enough for a person to walk up, the small space for sitting in it, the gigantic size, and even its scent. It crossed my mind that I had found the good tree Mac had talked about yesterday and the good tree the woodcutter had talked about today.
“Hey! Where are you going?”
Robert and Kerner startled and called him out, but Usher didn’t care. He approached Mack, who seemed to be measuring a huge zelkova tree in front of him.
“Mister.”
“Oh, Usher, what’s going on?”
“Is that a good tree by any chance?”
Usher asked, although in his heart he was already convinced. He hoped otherwise, but his expectations were shattered by Mac’s subsequent words.
“Yes, I found it. How about it? That’s enough to make a lot of money.”
At that, Usher couldn’t stand it any longer and rushed at him. Mack collapsed in panic, as if he hadn’t expected him to suddenly run at him. However, it was only for a moment that the adults who saw Usher running at Mack came and grabbed him, and were soon overpowered.
“Why is he suddenly like this?”
“I don’t know! Grab it!”
Even so, Usher, who couldn’t let go of his anger, was fuming, but Mack got up and rubbed his cheek with an expression that he couldn’t understand why he was angry.
“Why are you doing that?”
“You’re so strange! Why is it that tree?!”
Yeah, it was Mac that was weird, not Usher. He was also one of the adults who talked about the rules, so why didn’t he know?
“At a glance, that zelkova tree is the tree from the story you told me!”
Not knowing was even worse. If you are an adult who talks about the rules so much, you can’t know what that tree means if you are the one who explained what the festival called Maskapir was for. Then, Mack said as if he was tired of it, even though he put on an expression that he finally understood.
“You’re saying the same thing as the village chief.”
If the chief said something like that, he thought he had a chance of persuading him.
“But there’s no rule against cutting down that tree, is there?”
“I beg your pardon?”
Certainly it was. I couldn’t find anywhere in the village rules that explicitly said not to cut down any trees.
“You don’t know because you’re young, but that’s just a story passed down anyway.”
“That’s right. It’s just a tree.”
“It looks like a rare tree even in this forest, and with that amount, everyone in this village can make a lot of money.”
Even the other adults seemed to agree with Mac, so Usher was helpless. In the end, Usher had to go back to town alone, as the adults decided he couldn’t work. However, he could not go back to the village as the adults told him to. As they glared at the woodcutters at the border between the forest and the lawn where they could not see themselves well, they soon saw them clinging to the zelkova tree like a swarm of ants and attacking them with an axe.
“Shit!”
As Usher gnashed his teeth at the reality that he had no choice but to watch it, he did not stop searching around the forest. This was obviously a secret place only for him and his girl. She couldn’t go back to the village by herself, thinking that a timid and sensitive girl like a rabbit would be frightened by people and hiding and trembling. However, he searched around the area for several hours, but the girl was nowhere to be seen. Then he remembered the passage he used to come here. He thought no way, but when he thought there might be, he hurried down the aisle.
“Belka!!”
He was able to spot the girl in front of the aisle. But her condition was strange.
“Aww, Usher.”
Belka, as if aware of his arrival, gasped for breath and barely called his name in a voice that seemed to break at any moment. Her girlish body was weak and she was barely supporting herself with her back against the wall in her aisle, with one hand clutching her chest area and breaking out in a cold sweat. Seeing the suffering of the girl who had never been ill while meeting him until now, Usher felt that it was because the woodcutters were cutting down the zelkova trees.
“Belka?”
“Please don’t go.”
Belka, who was holding on to the hem of his clothes, seemed to be giving her more strength than ever, but the strength she felt there was weak, as if she could easily fall off with just a little bit of strength. Usher wanted to go to stop the woodcutters right away, but he had no choice but to stay by the girl’s side, as he felt that he would never see Belka forever.
