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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Jjescus ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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Chapter: 174
"Are you alright?" I asked, watching Jawoon's slumped shoulders.
"I told you to go back..."
Jawoon leaned against the pillar and slowly raised his head. His pale face was filled with stubbornness.
He stared at me for a long time. It almost looked like he was glaring at me. Then, he sighed and continued.
"There are things you have to go through once in a while. It won't last long, so don't worry about it."
"It doesn't look like an illness..."
I approached Jawoon and examined him, then turned around to look at Aro. She was standing there blankly, just staring at us.
She looked like she knew something. Otherwise, she wouldn't just be watching Jawoon in such a bad condition.
She must have already known the cause and severity of Jawoon's symptoms.
Then, when our eyes met, she looked away as if trying to play dumb. But she wasn't going to pretend she didn't know anything.
"I told you, Grandpa. I told you to take me out."
"Nonsense,” Jawoon retorted sternly.
Judging from their attitude and tone, it seemed like they had had this conversation before.
Jawoon glanced at me and explained.
"She's a girl who doesn't even know what she wants, but she insists on going out of the village to live. It's no use talking to the villagers about it, so she's clinging to me, who has connections outside the village, and insisting on her stubbornness."
"Well, she is not wrong..."
"I don't know what you're going to say next, but it's bound to be nonsense. If you're going to talk nonsense, go back to the village and leave me alone."
Jawoon was more adamant than I thought. Instead of answering, I looked around. If there was any housework I could help with, I could use it as an excuse to stay a little longer.
I found an empty water container and said, "Then I'll fetch some water for you. You're not in good shape, are you?"
Jawoon shouted, "I told you to go back!"
I stopped, about to pick up the water container, and looked at him. He turned his back to me while sitting down. I couldn't see his expression.
Was it something to get that angry about? I stared at him, then suddenly looked at the water container. I didn't know if this water container was an important item to Jawoon.
I awkwardly stepped away from the water container and made eye contact with Aro. She seemed to think it was enough, as she opened the door and went out to the porch without any special reaction.
She didn't seem to have led me to Jawoon for no reason, so I followed her out.
"You did it on purpose, didn't you?"
Aro was already walking ahead of me at a brisk pace. She seemed to be going back to the village now.
I took a big step to catch up with her.
"Right? You didn't come without knowing, did you?"
As she and I walked side by side, I asked again. But she just shook her head playfully and walked on, without answering.
"You knew that Jawoon would get angry, but you still called me out on this day."
"Uncle."
"Uh, why?"
Aro didn't speak right away and hesitated. I knew by now that this was a trick to get my attention.
"Jawoon got angry because of you, not because of me."
"Why is it because of me? You didn't tell me what the situation was and just told me to follow you."
"No. It's because of you, Uncle."
Aro smiled.
"Everything."
"What are you talking about?"
"Why don't you know?"
"How would I know?"
I was starting to get frustrated.
She knew what I wanted to know, but she didn't seem to want to answer.
"Idiot."
...Not only was I called ignorant by a bird brain, but now I'm even being treated like a fool by this little one.
Still, Gon was a bird brain who has lived for hundreds of years, but this girl...
"Alright, you're right. So why did Jawoon get angry?"
"Well, Jawoon is an outsider, isn't he?"
"Outsider?"
I frowned at those words. Soon after, I realized what she meant.
"...Ah, I see."
"Do you understand something now?"
"An outsider doesn't just mean someone who came from outside the village, right?"
When I asked, Aro readily nodded.
"But you won't get in trouble for telling me this?"
"Who would scold me?"
"Your grandmother."
"Are you going to tell Grandma?"
Aro staggered exaggeratedly with a shocked expression.
I chuckled and shook my head.
"Now Uncle and I are allies."
"Why?"
"We have a secret together."
"Who told you that...?"
"Jawoon told me. That's how you make a promise."
"What do you mean?"
"If you have to tell someone a secret that is your weakness, you have to find out their weakness first, and then show them your weakness."
"Jawoon said that?"
Aro nodded. What was this all of a sudden? It sounded very meaningful that Jawoon said such a thing.
"This is a different story, but do you know what Jawoon used to do in the past?"
"I won't tell you. Jawoon gets sad when you ask him about things that happened in the past. He's different from you, Uncle, who wants to go back to where he came from."
"But you could have found out his job or something like that."
Then Aro thought for a moment and replied, "He said he was a warrior."
"Warrior?"
My eyes widened without me realizing it. Jawoon's build and his behavior alone made it clear that he was in that kind of field. But if he himself said that his past was that of a warrior...
The Jawoon I saw was not someone who would exaggerate his achievements. In the self-governing group, he did almost all the practical work, but he never took any credit for it.
Rather, it was highly likely that he had summarized it.
"I see. I understand."
"Did you find out anything?" Aro asked, her eyes shining. She seemed just as curious about Jawoon's past as I was.
"No."
I didn't know much either. When I answered honestly, she was disappointed.
"Anyway... what does it have to do with Jawoon being an outsider and him getting angry with me?"
Then Aro looked at me as if I was pathetic and sighed deeply.
"Why are you sighing when you're so small?"
"It's because you, Uncle, are so, so stupid."
"Why am I stupid?"
"You just said it yourself, Uncle. What is an outsider?"
So, an outsider doesn't just mean someone who came from outside the village. It's probably about whether or not they have a supernatural ability.
But not all the villagers have the ability, do they? And they are not called outsiders.
"I have my own guess, but I'm not sure."
"Tell me anyway."
"Having the ability... or not having it. Is this the criterion that divides outsiders and villagers... right?"
"Heeeeeung."
Aro made a strange noise.
So is that right or not?
I kept walking with only questions in my mind, and before I knew it, I was close to the village.
The familiar scenery of the village no longer felt like someone else's neighborhood.
This was a big problem. I didn't want to feel familiar with this place. The village chief's desire for me to stay in this village was one of the reasons I needed to be wary.
I am not someone who will stay here. I have a place to go. I shouldn't get too attached to this village.
I remind myself of this every day, but I can't help but feel a twinge of fear whenever the scenery feels familiar.
I tried to recall my fortress lord's voice, but for some reason, my ears were silent.
I swallowed dryly and tried to distract myself.
"You're not going to answer?"
"Try asking Haejung to take you to the boundary, Uncle. Then you'll understand."
So there's a separate boundary area. I nodded.
Just then, Aro's expression suddenly became serious.
"Ah..."
"...Why?"
Why is she so serious? Did she think of something big?
When I asked, she replied, "Uncle is a fool, so even if he sees it, he might not recognize it..."
"Hey."
Aro smiled and ran towards the village.
"Is this how you make fun of an adult?"
It seemed like she wanted to play tag.
I trudged along behind her. Meanwhile, she ran off like an arrow and disappeared beyond the low wall that connected the alleyways.
As I was walking, I ran into Haejung, who was carrying a load of firewood on his back and walking towards me from the opposite direction.
It was strange that he appeared as if he had been waiting for me.
I asked him where he was coming from, and he replied, "I met Aro on the way, and she told me to go this way. Is something the matter?"
"Nothing much, but I have a favor to ask."
"What favor is it?"
I told him that I wanted to go to the boundary, just as Aro had said. Hearing my words, Haejung looked me up and down with a strange expression.
"Why do you want to go there? It won't be a pretty sight."
"Someone told me to go and see something."
"Who told you?"
"Aro."
"Aro told you that?"
"Yes."
I nodded. Haejung seemed suspicious, but then he nodded back as if he understood.
"Alright. But today will be difficult. Can we go tomorrow?"
"That's fine."
"Alright. See you tomorrow."
Haejung readjusted the mountain of firewood and continued on his way.
The next day, I went to the boundary area with Haejung as promised.
The boundary area didn't seem to be nearby, as Haejung had packed a bundle to carry with him.
"Is there anything I need to bring?"
"Yes. But I've packed everything, so don't worry."
"Ah, okay."
But Haejung wasn't the only one with a bundle. Aro was also there, taking up a spot next to him.
"You're coming too?"
"Why? Can't I?"
I didn't expect her to follow us all the way to the boundary.
However, Haejung didn't seem to mind.
No, on the contrary.
Usually, if a child follows along, they'll only be a burden, but he didn't stop her, which made me realize that Haejung already saw Aro as a force to be reckoned with.
...Was it because the self-governing group's skills were so poor?
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Jjescus ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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