Episode 74: Red Death (3)
Stormy jungle.
The tents on the walls flutter noisily.
A bonfire was burning in the barracks.
The sound of hot breathing resounds above the bed, where the light is dimly reddening.
Alas. A girl who had just turned fourteen was lying there moaning.
Light spots on the skin, red death! It was slowly eating away at the girl’s body.
Ahul’s brother Ahhun clung to Bikir with a contemplative face.
“Please, Bikir! Please save my brother!”
“… … .”
Bikir approached Ahul with her mouth shut.
Red spots on the skin, uncontrollable bowel movements, soaring body temperature, pain in the joints, and swelling in the neck, armpits, and groin.
All these are signs of the red death.
“Why did this happen?”
“I went to the swamp to cut down trees for civil engineering and then stopped… … .”
Ahhun answered instead.
Aheul was probably infected when he went deep into the wetlands to cut down trees.
“What about slaves?”
Iyan asked with a worried expression.
However, since he has already fallen ill, there is nothing he can do about it even if he is Vikir.
Prevention is something anyone can do, but treatment is the domain of experts.
at that time.
flutter –
The barracks door opened.
It was Ahheman, the sorcerer, who burst in.
As soon as he entered, he looked at Ahyul and Ahhun and raged.
“Nice guys! I went around not listening to Grandpa!”
Ahheman shouted as he splashed spittle on the face of the groaning Aheul.
“I was instigated by the words of that imperial spy, so it’s cheap to end up like this! Everything will come back as I did!”
“Grandpa! You speak harshly!”
Ahun jumped up and protested against Ahheman.
match-
But the only thing that came back was listening.
Ahhun sat down with his cheeks stained red and couldn’t stand up again.
Ahheman looked down at Ahhun, who had fallen to the floor, with contempt.
“There is nothing different from my mother-in-law. worthless bastard.”
“… … .”
Before long, thick tears began to fall from Ahhun’s eyes.
When Iyan sighs with an expression like ‘It’s a start again’.
“There is a cure.”
Bikir opened his mouth.
At that, Ahhemman snorted and Ahhun widened his eyes.
Ahheman left the barracks with Bikir’s chest pushed hard.
“Do you want to be fooled by your pranks again? Since this is a curse from the gods, the only answer is to offer sacrifices and raise the spirit. Now that things have turned out this way, the chieftain will allow it.”
With the authority of the shaman until the end.
wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee-
Through the wide open entrance of Ahheman, wind and raindrops come in and wet everyone’s body.
Those left in the barracks were Iyen, Bikir, Ahun, and the sick Aheel.
Bikir said to Ahun.
“First of all, you must receive the excretion of Ahyul yourself. Be careful not to touch your body. Also, disinfect the used utensils with boiling water. And burn mugwort on a bonfire to drive away all mosquitoes, fleas, and bats around the house.”
“Oh, I see. Will that work?”
“You can’t just do that.”
Bikir turned to look at Iyen.
And he said a little earlier what he was originally going to ask for.
“Get me out of the water.”
At those words, Ayen’s expression hardened.
There is no discrimination against those who originally came from outside the country and became members of Balak.
They are free to go anywhere in the jungle, and inside the village, they can enter anywhere except for the chieftain’s barracks and the shaman’s festival.
but only one.
Going out of the water is strictly prohibited.
Balakin from a foreign country can go out of the sea only when two conditions are satisfied at once.
first.
Must have lived in the village for more than 2 years.
second.
Possibly had a relationship with an indigenous Balak and fathered three or more children.
Bikir failed to satisfy either condition.
However, despite this, Bikir is telling her to let her out of the sea.
“If you let me go, I will get you a cure for the plague.”
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Hearing Bikir’s words, Iyen bit his lip.
Will Aquila, her mother and chieftain, grant this exception? probably won’t allow it. Because Aquila was a considerable principled person.
‘There’s a high possibility that I’ll throw away my sorrow.’
It is the sacrifice of a cow for the great.
But Iyen didn’t want to do that.
I didn’t want to see Ahyul, who always sang with a cute voice and took care of the laundry and cleaning, dying from vomiting and diarrhea.
… … but. A more fundamental problem was making Iyan conflict.
Will Bikir ever return?
Strictly speaking, he is a stranger who was taken as a slave.
If Bikir is given freedom and allowed to go out of the sea, will he ever come back?
Until now, though Vikir had roamed freely by herself, it was within Balak’s realm.
If Vikir tried to escape, Balak’s search party and the wolves, who confirmed that they were empty that evening, would find him and condemn him.
Bikir wasn’t stupid enough to not know that.
However, getting a pass to go outside the floodwaters was a completely different story.
By the time you find out that he’s on a run that will never return, it will be after you can’t catch him forever.
“… … .”
Iyen hesitated.
Hesitating was not her attitude.
In that short moment, Iyan thought deeply about the mental factors that made her hesitate, and soon found the reason.
The process of looking into one’s own mind and discovering a part that one was not even aware of.
she raised her head.
The eyes were already stained red with the color of the bonfire. The difference is that unlike fire, it is moist with water.
“… … go.”
The master’s order has been given.
* * *
Iyen did not report to Aquila. Because it’s only natural that she wouldn’t allow it.
All responsibility was shouldered by Iyan.
Bikir ran through the floodwaters at night with the Pomerian on his back.
‘Anyway, this epidemic cannot be completely prevented by flood control work.’
Moreover, what about the other tribes that have not been flooded?
A more fundamental solution was needed to prevent the spread of the Red Death, the revival of the empire, and even the Baskerville family.
… Tadak!
Bikir crossed the river at once, stepping on the logs that were floating on the water.
Since there were a lot of things floating in the flood, I was able to run on the river, so the distance I moved was shorter.
Right then.
Bikir stopped abruptly on the river bank.
Shoot aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa… …
night in the rain. A shadow spread across the water can be seen following.
Where Bikir looked back, Iyen, who was completely wet, was standing there breathing heavily.
“Why are you following me?”
When Vikir asked, Ayen stopped talking but fell silent.
“What am I following my slave?”
“Don’t follow me.”
“no.”
“I told you not to follow me.”
“I am the master!”
Iyen shouted in a watery voice.
However, Bikir only draws a line once more with cold eyes.
“It’s unusual to say it three times. Do you know?”
“… … .”
“If you don’t follow me, don’t follow me.”
Seeing Bikir’s eyes, Iyen froze in place as if shocked.
“How could you look at me like that?”
A crying question is heard.
Bikir didn’t answer.
Then Iyen mumbled something with difficulty.
And out of many things, only selected and selected things came out of his mouth.
“Where are you going?”
“… … .”
“Wherever you go, tell me and go then.”
“no.”
“Why are you taking Pomeran?”
“… … .”
“… … Can’t we leave the baby alone?”
A sight where you don’t know who is the master and who is the slave.
… … No Iyen, she knew from the start.
It was what I had felt from the very first time I saw his languid face on stage, when he was imprisoned behind bars by slave traders.
That I will live with him for the rest of my life.
In the pouring rain, Iyan suddenly realized that fact.
She said in a trembling body and a damp voice.
“Then answer me on this one.”
“… … Something?”
When Vikir asked, Ayen held his breath for a long time before continuing.
“Are you coming back?”
“… … .”
creeping voice. Anxiety, nervousness, and dejection hang in the tone.
And this time, Vikir also responded quickly.
“of course.”
It was only after hearing those words that Ayen’s expression relaxed.
She let out a white breath of relief.
“Keep your promise.”
“… … .”
“please.”
Bikir nodded.
yet.
The hound runs through the dawn again.
The distant darkness in the dark clouds that swallowed even the distant winter.
And here is the owner who quietly watches her receding back from her seat.
