Chapter 16 – Chapter 2: Familiar Guest – 2
Although not now, the ‘guests’ who were once residents of this village were treated with the utmost respect.
Everyone was happy to see Uncle Joseph’s visit, and he was welcomed with an easy smile as always.
The villagers asked how my uncle was doing.
My uncle smiled bitterly.
“I live in Deseo now. It was really busy! Haha!!”
And he explained in detail how he got here.
“… I was living quite well, but a few days ago I heard that the village chief had passed away. Something like that happened a long time ago, so I can’t say that I was on good terms with the village chief… Still, I came here because I wanted to say one last thank you to the person who warmly welcomed me to Brisden while I was wandering through the long war.”
My uncle grabbed my shoulder.
“Ritz, I’m sorry.”
“No. Thank you for comforting me.”
“I want to meet the village chief. “Can you help me?”
I went up to the tomb with Uncle Joseph.
Brisden’s tomb was quite different from other places.
A major feature is that there are no tombstones made of stone.
In our village, the traditional funeral custom was to carve the name of the deceased into a pine tree and bury it right underneath it.
We also decided in advance which pine tree we would be buried under.
It was called ‘Ansik Tree (安息樹)’. It means a tree that prays for rest.
Me and Tia’s trees are side by side on the mountainside.
A little further up there was a very large pine tree, and that was the village chief’s tree.
“I’ll be back.”
Uncle Joseph quietly climbed the mountain and knelt down on one knee in front of the chief’s resting place.
He took two swords from his belt, placed them neatly under a pine tree, and prayed reverently.
What kind of prayer is this?
The chief was not sad when Uncle Joseph left.
He was not angry even after seeing a letter full of swear words.
He was just silent as always. Like now.
“…”
After saying the final goodbye.
My uncle organized his things neatly and returned to me.
“I want to look around the grave.”
“Yes. Please follow me.”
We walked through the pine forest together.
Uncle Joseph said as he checked the resting water one by one.
“Ritz. Outsiders can’t be buried here, right? “I lived in Brisden for about 6 years, but I didn’t get my rest.”
“Yes. “Only outsiders born in this village or married here are given rest.”
“Hmm…”
The footsteps suddenly stopped.
My uncle was looking at a name carved on a tree.
The letters were a little blurred due to the new growth of the bark, but they were clearly legible.
‘Helina Anseer’.
A different name is engraved on the tree right next to it.
‘Albert Antheer’.
“These people…”
“These are Tia’s parents.”
“… I see.”
My uncle nodded.
It seemed like there was nothing more to see. He left the grave just like that.
“What about Tia?”
“Tia is fine.”
“Do you know where she is now?”
“I’ll be home.”
“I’m going to have a quick chat with Tia. And… It’s been a while since I wanted to eat Brisden’s specialty, Merid’s special roast pork.”
“Yes. “I’ll give it to Aunt Merid.”
“Okay! Thanks! Haha!”
My uncle went down the hill.
And just in time, I ran into Tia who was coming up from below.
“Oh?”
At first Tia looked very surprised, but then she ran over with a bright smile on her face and hugged her uncle with all her might.
“Uncle-?! “It’s been a long time!”
“Haha! Yes, yes. “It’s been a while, Tia!”
I burst into laughter.
I turned around, leaving behind the two people who were sharing the joy of reunion.
A grand welcome party was prepared.
As Aunt Mary took our order, she sighed and asked how she was going to get pork right now. Still, she somehow managed to get the smoked meat out and make a great dish.
The uncle who came to meet Tia toasted with the people and enjoyed her meat.
We chatted excitedly, telling stories about what had happened and telling funny stories.
As time passed, the atmosphere calmed down a bit.
Uncle Joseph suddenly tapped my arm.
“Ritz. “Let’s talk for a moment.”
I followed behind without saying a word.
After moving for a while, we were in front of the village chief’s hut.
“… First, I want to say thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to find out about the village chief’s death.”
Did you find out about the village chief’s death ‘thanks to me’?
I don’t know what he’s saying, but I nodded.
“… Yes.”
“And I heard it from Tia. “I heard you were seriously injured.”
“Oh, yes.”
“How are you feeling?”
“It’s a lot better now.”
“Thank god. “I’m going to be the village chief in the future, so I don’t want to get hurt.”
Stroke your head with a large hand.
I missed this soft touch.
My uncle looked up at the cabin and said.
“Haha. It’s always the same here. It’s always the same, so it’s really cozy.”
“It will continue to be that way. Oops, are you tired? I’m going to clean up the house I used to use…”
“No, it’s okay. “I will leave here at night.”
I thought I would stay a little longer.
It was unfortunate, but it seemed like there was somewhere I had to go urgently.
Uncle Joseph turned his eyes to me.
“But I’ll be back soon. At most, less than half a year. Ritz, until then, let me ask you a favor.”
Please?
Uncle Joseph asked me a favor… Do you?
“The opening of villages is an unstoppable trend. “You know, right?”
“Yes. “I know.”
“Once the bridge is built and the road is maintained, many people will soon be able to come and go. “You, who have just become the village chief, will have a lot of burden, and you will become dizzy.”
Suddenly my uncle spoke with a serious face.
“But… Still, we have to protect Tia.”
“Of course.”
“Let me emphasize this again. You must ‘never’ let Tia leave this village. “Understand, right?”
“… !”
When I heard repeated requests. I realized that this is not a simple matter to think about.
My uncle was saying something completely different from Ruyev.
Ruyev said that Tia should be kicked out, and his uncle should keep Tia in this village.
Naturally, neither of them told me the reason.
However, seeing that ‘Tia’ was commonly mentioned, I could only guess that something had definitely happened related to her.
There is something.
Something that runs quietly except for me.
But I felt like I was caught in the middle, floating alone and unable to understand any context.
How… What’s going on?
“Uncle. Of course, you would, but why do you do that?”
“Sorry. “I can’t tell you that yet.”
My uncle closed his eyes.
“I don’t want you to tell Tia that I said this. But if I make one promise, I swear to Shinryong that when I come to visit you again, I will definitely bring ‘good news’.”
“… I understand.”
“Okay. Damn, I believe it!”
My uncle patted me on the back and returned to the villagers.
Ha.
Although my head was confused.
Well, I decided to just accept this situation.
Nothing changed anyway.
Tia just needs to stay here until her uncle returns.
It was something I could do on my own without having to ask for it.
By the way, Uncle Joseph gave me a secret mission…
It’s a strange feeling.
The sun has already set.
My uncle said goodbye and said it was time to go.
The seniors, who were sad, brought gifts to them, but they flatly refused, saying they did not have hands to carry them.
Lastly, we say hello to each person one by one.
My uncle asked to shake my hand.
“Ritz! “You must stay healthy!”
“Yes.”
Chin.
The moment you shake hands firmly.
I caught something foreign in my hand.
When I raised my head in surprise, my uncle just smiled and winked.
I clenched my fists and put my hands in my pockets.
“Then I’ll come back again! Brothers and sisters!”
The great mercenary set off again.
Leaving behind a short and intense meeting, another day in Brisden comes to an end.
When everyone disperses.
I took out the item my uncle gave me from my pocket.
“… ?!”
I quickly covered my mouth.
It was a ring.
A ring with a very large ruby in it.
I was so surprised that I quickly hid it and looked around.
Fortunately, no one seemed to have seen it.
I could tell even though I only saw it briefly.
The ‘ring’ was no ordinary ring.
A ring that can only be worn by the noble of nobles, with thin rose stems meticulously crafted… No, it was an item that could only be used in the Deseo royal family.
What kind of thing is so scary to even have… Why me?
My heart is pounding.
What does this mean?
Is this a reward given to protect Tia?
The price is outrageous for something like that, right? What are you doing?
I wanted to chase after my uncle and ask him right away, but the sight behind him had already disappeared a long time ago.
“Ritz! “What are you doing in a daze?”
“Wow.”
Tia tapped my shoulder.
I got goosebumps, but I managed to get my voice out.
“H-huh? Oh, no. “Nothing.”
“Get in quickly. Cold. “I’m catching a cold.”
“Okay. “And you?”
“Me? “I’ll be back at the pharmacy in a bit!”
“Okay. “Don’t stay too long, go back right away.”
“Yes!”
Tia climbs her hill, shaking her red hair.
Now that I think about it, she hasn’t been to her medicine shop yet since she woke up.
She returned home, promising herself that she would definitely go there tomorrow.
* * *
Today I was thinking of asking Tia to go up to her pharmacy with me.
Of course, he was probably managing it well, but I also need to take a look at what happened to my precious workplace.
“Ritz! “I’m here!”
Tia knocked on her door, as always, and I greeted her warmly.
And she talked about today’s schedule.
“… “You want to go to the pharmacy?”
“Huh. “I need to check to see if it has been well managed.”
“It doesn’t matter, but-. I have no confidence in receiving praise from Ritz. Lol…”
“I’m just looking at it briefly. “I have no intention of blaming you.”
“Then let’s go now!”
It was when she was putting on thick clothes and getting ready to go out.
Jump up!
Suddenly the door was opened roughly.
It was Uncle Marvin.
The man was breathing heavily and suddenly asked us.
“Have you guys seen Ruev?”
“Yes? “I didn’t see it.”
“Ha-. This kid isn’t even at home. Where on earth did it go?”
“What’s going on?”
Uncle Marvin clenched his teeth.
“Ruyev didn’t show up today.”
