The 31st Piece Turns the Tables

Episode 436

“The grassland will continue for a while.”

Sindio asked Jian’s words.

“I guess you know a lot about the non-governance zone?”

“My hometown is this way. Do you know Gurjant? “I told Kang Seol once.”

“Gurjant? Are you from there? “It was taken over by monsters, right?”

“That’s right, the coal mine was closed… and most of the people who stayed there died.”

Jian smiles.

“Hehe… I survived though.”

“… It tastes like your food. I hope our time together won’t be long.”

“I really like you.”

“What are you talking about!”

“Not as a woman, but as a colleague.”

“Of course! “I didn’t even misunderstand!”

Sindio’s face was quite red as he screamed in anger.

– Snowfall: (Picking his nose) What are these bastards doing now?

– Are you filming a romantic comedy? Yours?

– Was it that cheap back then?

– Could it be that Wang Jae-su?

Kang Seol asked Jian.

“Then you probably know where this is.”

“You know, Tamas Meadow. “It is also called the meadow of frequent reunions.”

A meadow of frequent reunions.

It’s a familiar sound.

“why? “Why is it called that?”

“Do you want to know, little girl?”

“huh!”

Jian explained about this place as if he were Tansia’s uncle and was giving his nephew new knowledge.

“This meadow has different heights. Should I say that it slopes arbitrarily? “You could say that the things scattered everywhere are pits.”

“Then what happens?”

“Look carefully.”

Paaaaaaat-!

Jian ran to a location some distance away.

Sindio shouted.

“Catch it! Trying to escape…”

“That’s not it.”

When Kangseol responded to Sindio’s words with a straight face, she pursed her lips and observed the situation.

“What do you think, kid? Can you find me?”

“Uh… where is it? “I can hear the sound, but I can’t see it!”

Jian’s appearance disappeared in the blink of an eye. And then it appeared again.

“Voila! “It was here!”

“Waaah! Interesting! “It showed up again!”

“It’s a trap of vision. “If there is a situation where you have to fight with the natives, you must avoid this terrain.”

It wasn’t just a matter of terrain.

Fog also occurred quite frequently, which also contributed to the inability to accurately see the surroundings.

Pak pak pak pak!

“Ahahahaha! fun!”

Instead of taking cute steps, Tansia ran across the surrounding terrain at incredible speed.

“Enjoy it while you can, kid. “Once you leave the grassland, you will be in the tundra for a while.”

“are you okay! “It’s warm!”

“Then that’s it.”

Tansia was literally wearing a lot of clothes. When Karen and Karuna heard that they were heading north, they prepared excessively in case she caught a cold from the cold wind.

“Kahahaha! Tancia! “Don’t go far!”

“The little one is energetic. Hehehe… Be prepared when you enter the cold ice zone. “It’s so cold that you can’t even make a fire at night.”

“to? “There needs to be fire… Why can’t there be fire?”

Tansia’s question.

Kang Seol also felt puzzled and asked Jian.

“The natives of the ungoverned area may be eccentric, but I don’t think they are violent enough to attack travelers for no reason. “Am I wrong?”

“You’re right. “It was true until a few years ago.”

“…Did something happen?”

Jian stretched and came closer.

“Recently, native hunters have been on the rise.”

“Is this the work of slave traders?”

“Maybe so. Because of this, all the tribes are going on a rampage and killing intruders. In short, if you take a leisurely stroll through a non-administered area like this, you could easily become a target.”

Kkuk…

Tansia asked, pulling Jian’s clothes.

“If you get caught by the natives… what happens?”

“What if I get caught? A kid like you… gets eaten alive. “Kaaaaaaaaaa!”

“Heeeeeeeek!”

Tansia’s teeth clashed so hard that they made a clicking noise.

“Ahahahaha! The little boy reacts well, so I keep teasing him. Are you scared? scared? “Can you tell me what’s really scary?”

“no! I want to cover my ears! “I won’t listen!”

As Tansia covered her ears, Jian muttered softly.

“Native people are fighting to survive. “These guys who are more dangerous than the natives are widespread in this ungoverned area.”

So the sun set.

Perhaps because he ran around so vigorously during the day, Jian immediately fell asleep. He was a truly fearless person.

“Ha… I’m worried that that person might have an accident at any moment.”

“… I think we should pay more attention to the situation in non-governed areas rather than Jian.”

“I also need to get some information when the expedition team catches up. Then today’s number is…”

“I will stand.”

When Karuna declared himself the head of the clan, Sindio nodded.

“Then I will stand tomorrow. “Let’s take turns standing.”

Since we couldn’t make a fire, the surroundings were quite dark.

Wiggle…

Next to Snowfall’s sleeping bag, a small sleeping bag crawled like a caterpillar.

“… Tancia?”

“We sleep together… I’m scared.”

“… Come on.”

Kang Seol stroked Tansia’s head for a while and then fell asleep.

And the next day.

“catch! “Go that way!”

“Aaaah! Why this way….”

“Hold the horns!”

A mountain goat running through the grassland.

Jian told Sindio to catch the mountain goat. However, Syndio quickly became panicked.

Wow!

“Ah… I missed it!”

This time, the mountain goat heads dangerously in Tansia’s direction.

“It’s on my side! oh my god!”

“Kid! “Just kill me or stop me!”

“You look nice! “You can’t kill me!”

“Then I’ll kill you, so just hold on!”

Tansia flinched and stopped.

Jump up!

As if laughing at Tansia, the mountain goat jumped a height much greater than her height and disappeared from sight.

“….”

Jian came closer to Tansia with an expressionless face.

“I’m sorry Tansia missed it.”

“Kid…”

As Jian radiated his unique presence, it felt like the air suddenly settled.

“There is no need to blame yourself one by one.”

“… huh?”

“He was lucky. “I was probably destined to survive today.”

“Is that so? huh?”

“The opportunity to catch him doesn’t come just once. It seems like he got separated from the group and will reappear soon. There’s no immediate problem if you lose him, right? “I can tolerate as much as not being able to eat the dinner special.”

Jian placed his hand on Tansia’s head.

And stroked it slowly.

“But… but.”

Sigh…

He smiled grimly and bent down to face Tansia.

“The moment to make an important decision will inevitably come. If you put it off today, it will come tomorrow, and if you put it off tomorrow, it will be too late. There are things in this world that must be done. At least to move on to the next step. … Little girl, you can’t hesitate next time, right?”

Kang Seol and Sindio both looked at Jian with surprised expressions.

That was pretty good advice.

Don’t feel guilty.

Don’t slacken off again.

He gave Tansia some adult-like advice.

“Well, since it’s what a bad man says, it doesn’t matter if you don’t take it seriously as the truth of life. “Still, I’m saying this for you, so it might be a good idea to think about it at least once.”

Tansia nodded.

It was right then.

“Hururuu… Haaaaaaa!”

Everyone’s heads turned.

“I guess there’s no one who didn’t hear it, right? They are natives. “That was pretty close too.”

“What are you talking about? “What about that?”

“It’s a hunting signal. “To be exact, it’s a signal that they’ve found their prey.”

“Where is the game? “The mountain goat you missed earlier?”

“The goat ran to the other side.”

“Then… I guess it’s us?”

Chizzik…

Syndio held a thunderbolt in his hand.

“Stop woman. Are you planning to build our tomb in a non-administered area?”

“Then what should I do? “We have to fight back!”

“If you respond, you will never be recognized by the native people. It’s the same even if you subdue them. “There is no other option but to run away.”

“That’s… that’s so unfair!”

“By unfair, do you mean the feds who drove them all the way to a non-administrative area infested with monsters?”

“… I understood it right away! Let’s run!”

Paaaaaaat-!

Snowfall, carrying Tansia on his back, was the first to move forward. Sindio and Gian took charge of the rear, and Karen and Karuna took charge of the rear.

Push shoo shoo shoo…

“I shot!” “I shot it!”

When Tansia whined at the sight of the flying arrow, Jian shouted.

“If you don’t get hit, you’re done! Hehehehe! run!”

A flying arrow.

It was clear that they were targeting this direction as expected.

Huuuuuuung…

[The black wave of the flowing moon Karuna is maintained.]

[All projectiles below a certain destructive power are blocked.]

“Hururu! under!”

“What should I do? “I think I’m more excited than before…”

“It’s okay. I widened the distance. If there is a suitable place, you can hide there. “No matter how good your eyes are in this grassland, you are bound to miss your game.”

Snowfall also felt that the distance between them and the natives was widening. Usually, guys who go out hunting come riding something, and they had a feeling that was the case, but Kangseol and his party were faster.

‘done. It’s safe now…’

At that moment, something sharply penetrated my senses.

‘… what?’

Suddenly, a dangerous projectile appeared in the air.

Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

special tr…!

The spear that appeared even through Karuna’s black waves was aimed at Jian.

“Damn….”

Whilick!

Snowfall flew up and kicked its foot down.

Kwazijijijijik-!

A snowfall that hits the exact center of the window.

The spear was broken into pieces and scattered everywhere.

“Wow… I almost died.”

“… It is an alien force.”

“I know, it’s the Keshii tribe. A group of followers of Jin. “It’s extremely annoying.”

Jinryeo, who was with him in the East, was also of the Keshii tribe. Those who borrow and use the power of Jin.

“Thanks to you, I was safe. It was probably the final blow. By the way, I knew that you could only overcome Jin’s strength with your physical abilities, but… you’re quite the monster, too.”

The group feels like they’ve been left out, but decides to move a little further. As the travel time became quite long, it slowly started to get dark.

“I need to find a place to stay tonight. “The sun is setting.”

“Oh, in that sense, how about there?”

“… That’s a good idea.”

A house with a light on was sitting at the foot of the mountain.

* * *

The house was quite large.

A two-story wooden house.

If a native is staying there, it will be an opportunity to start a friendly conversation, and if not, you will be able to sleep comfortably tonight.

The group moved diligently towards the house again.

Boom… Boom…

“…Who are you?”

“I am a merchant traveling here. “It’s late at night, so I’d like to take care of you for a day… Of course, I’ll repay you.”

“You guys are armed, we…”

At that time, Jian lifted Tansia up.

“haha! I completely understand. “We’re fine, but I’m a little worried that my daughter might get cold outside…”

Jian was just adding whatever he could, and it all seemed plausible.

“… We also have a daughter.”

“Good! “If you hang out with my child for one night, maybe we can become friends, right?”

“… Considering that there is also a small child in the group, it appears that they are not dangerous. Come on in.”

Kkeeeeeek…

“Excuse me?”

“Waaaa!”

A little girl ran up to Tansia and hugged her.

“Ugh… the smell…”

The child was a little embarrassed as Tansia held her nose.

“I’m sorry… I haven’t washed it yet…”

The moment they entered the house, the expressions of Kang Seol and his group changed slightly.

“I’ve already prepared dinner… so I guess I should go to bed early. “There won’t be enough room, is that okay?”

“it’s okay.”

“If you do that… the ladies go this way…”

While they were leaving, Kang Seol was secretly looking around the house.

Sigh…

A family photo placed in a clearly visible place.

A man was carrying his daughter on a horse, smiling brightly, and his lovely wife was standing next to him.

Kang Seol stroked her chin and looked at the photo for a moment before turning her eyes elsewhere.

The decoration of the house was quite realistic.

If this were not a non-governance zone, this house would be quite expensive.

The wife who takes Sindio’s robe.

“You’re soaked in sweat. “Have you had a hard time traveling?”

“Oh, there’s a little problem.”

“Have you met any natives?”

“Well… similar…”

“Naughty guys… they point arrowheads at anyone.”

The wife walked away, saying that she had a hard time and that she would prepare bath water.

That’s how each person’s rest began.

Tansia received the same room as the child in this house, Kangseol, Karuna, and Jian received one room, and Karen and Sindio received the remaining room.

They went to bed early and talked for about 30 minutes before going to their respective rooms to talk about it the next day.

Snowfall also lay down in a fairly comfortable bed.

Has time passed like that?

“… The men were clearly asleep. “It’s a good thing I lit scented candles.”

“You can tell by your breathing. “There is not an inch of disorganization.”

“What did I tell you that you would fall asleep quickly?”

And this is Jian’s voice.

This sound was also exclusive to them.

Why is Jian having a private conversation with people he has never met?

This night when everyone is asleep.

“….”

Snowfall was looking up at the ceiling with her eyes open.