I Became A Married Man in Another World
Chapter 122
Meeting the Border Count
The road to the area where the magic beasts had reportedly appeared was far from smooth.
At times, the carriage wheels would get stuck in deep mire, rendering them immobile; at others, the adventurers found themselves sinking into the mud with every step.
Each time a boot was caught in the sludge, it took just a little more effort than walking on solid ground. They say many a mickle makes a muckle, and in this case, it was true in the worst possible way. The adventurers, already exhausted from a full day of walking, were gradually worn down.
Just when it seemed they had finally left those conditions behind, the carriage began to rattle and jolt violently.
‘If it’s not a quagmire, it’s a rock crawl. When are we ever going to hit a normal road?’
Whether there had been a landslide or the road was simply built this way, the ground felt like a bed of jagged gravel. This terrain had persisted for over half a day.
An involuntary sigh escaped his lips.
Mindful of the carriage’s vibrations, Juhwan peered through the small gap behind the driver’s seat to check on the interior.
Inside the carriage, where the sunlight was dim through the closed windows, he could faintly make out two figures lying on a straw bed.
It was a relief. Despite the heavy jolting of the carriage, the bed didn’t seem to be shaking as much as he’d feared. Riji and Dorothy were fast asleep.
‘They looked exhausted, so I’m glad they can rest.’
While it was true the two had grown accustomed to carriage travel, they had always stuck to well-maintained roads. They also tended to take frequent breaks to ensure the journey wasn’t too taxing.
They had never experienced a forced march like this—pushing through without rest on bumpy roads or getting stuck in the mud.
Consequently, the bright smiles they wore at the start had vanished in an instant, their faces turning pale. Motion sickness likely played a part as well.
In less than half a day, Riji and Dorothy had alternated between lying down and vomiting until they finally succumbed to sleep.
Thanks to multiple applications of healing magic, the motion sickness seemed to have eased slightly.
However, it was ironic that healing magic—capable of mending cuts, tears, and even burns—wasn’t particularly effective against something as minor as motion sickness.
He had expected it to vanish easily, but it didn’t. It only managed to lighten the symptoms a fraction.
‘I thought motion sickness would be a breeze to fix.’
Magic was strange in that way.
Then again, perhaps Earth’s medicine was no different. Humanity still hasn’t conquered something as simple as the common cold.
The medicine prescribed for a cold treats the symptoms, not the virus itself. Mankind has yet to conquer the cold, despite how common and seemingly simple the ailment is.
Juhwan let out a small sigh. While he was lost in thought regarding motion sickness and colds, another fight seemed to have broken out among the adventurers walking ahead.
“Yeonhwa, let’s pick up the pace a bit.”
Juhwan gave the reins a light shake. As Yeonhwa trotted forward, the carriage rattled loudly, overtaking the others.
“Waaaaah! I’ll kill you!”
“Show ‘em what we’ve got!”
Rowdy shouts erupted from the gathered crowd.
People who looked like they were dying of exhaustion moments ago suddenly became vibrant the second a fight broke out. It probably wasn’t the case, but seeing them like this made it seem like they’d been exaggerating their fatigue.
Because people had gathered from various regions, groups had naturally formed based on their hometowns.
Juhwan had realized this while interviewing them to form the subjugation force.
In the end, he had decided to organize the teams based on their regions, thinking it would be better for cooperation.
The result was a strong sense of camaraderie and belonging, which was good, but it birthed a new problem: they began taking sides and fighting over the most trivial matters.
When there was a significant gap in skill, the weaker party would simply back off, and no fight would occur.
But when their skills were evenly matched, they were quick to draw their weapons. These adventurers seemed far more hot-blooded than the roughest men back in the villages.
It would have been fine if the bystanders stepped in to stop the brawlers, but instead, they cheered for the adventurers from their own regions and sometimes even placed bets, which was a major headache.
At first, Juhwan tried to resolve things peacefully, using persuasion or gently pulling them apart. But now…
As Juhwan approached the noisy crowd, he leaped down from the carriage.
The moment he appeared, the crowd parted like the Red Sea.
A long path cleared instantly to the center of the fray, revealing three adventurers who were just about to swing their weapons. It looked like two were ganging up on one.
Juhwan strode forward. As he reached the center, he balled his hand into a fist. Wind began to gather around the edges of his large knuckles.
Before the three combatants could even react to his presence, his fist flew toward the one closest to him.
With a dull thud, the man collapsed forward.
Watching the fallen man struggle to rise out of the corner of his eye, Juhwan immediately swung his fist at the next person. Before his knuckles even made contact, the wind struck the opponent first.
Had he actually landed a punch, it would have been devastating, but this was merely a strike from a powerful gust of wind. He had controlled his strength; there was no danger of them dying.
Seeing the second adventurer hit the ground, Juhwan turned toward the last one.
The third adventurer had already dropped his weapon. He threw both hands into the air and shouted.
“Wait! Everything should be done fairly! Even though I begged you time and time again not to fight, the fact that you drew your weapons means all three of you share the blame.”
After saying that, Juhwan punched the air.
The man let out a pathetic squawk and was sent flying backward.
Cheers erupted from the crowd.
“Wooooooo!”
“He won!”
“Pay up!”
“Ah, damn it. That was too fast.”
It seemed that even Juhwan’s intervention to stop the fight had been a subject for betting.
“That’s enough.”
When Juhwan frowned, the adventurers burst into laughter.
An adventurer who was busy collecting money from others grinned at him.
“Ah, our apologies. But that first guy who went down made a grand promise. He said there was no way he’d go down in one hit.”
Someone grumbled from the back.
“Seriously, if this keeps up, we won’t be able to bet anymore. If everyone gets knocked out in one blow, who’s going to bet on the other side?”
Sigh. The one who truly wanted to lament was Juhwan himself. He shook his head and turned away.
In the beginning, Juhwan had tried to talk them out of fighting every single time.
He used kind words, mediated between them, and listened to how the conflict started.
But it was futile. The moment he stopped a fight and turned his back, another one would break out elsewhere, or the same person he just scolded would start again.
If he stopped the procession to intervene every time, they wouldn’t reach their destination even in a month.
Eventually, he resorted to beating everyone involved as soon as a fight started. He didn’t have to stop the march, and as it turned out, it was the fastest method.
The Guild guide, who was on horseback, approached Juhwan as he climbed back onto the carriage.
“You’re having a hard time. But that’s just how adventurers are. They’re rough, simple, and hedonistic. If there’s something fun in the moment, they enjoy it and move on. Since death is always by an adventurer’s side, they never miss a chance to enjoy themselves.”
The guide gave a wry smile, glancing at the adventurers who were scattering back to their places on the road.
“We’re almost there. We’ll reach the first subjugation base soon.”
“Any sign of the magic beasts?”
The guide occasionally received messages sent from the Guild. Perhaps there was new information.
“No, not yet. But the first subjugation team reportedly found some tracks. It’s been a while since I received that word, so I’m not sure what the situation is now.”
The guide chuckled.
“Apparently, the Guild is in an uproar because it’s so unexpected. No one thought a lone wolf like you, Mr. Juhwan, would be so good at leading people.”
No, this didn’t even qualify as leadership. Anyone who had spent time in a professional workplace could do this much. In fact, even without a job, just graduating from middle or high school…
‘Ah, they don’t have things like that here. I suppose many people haven’t experienced group life.’
The guide shrugged.
“Chatterbox was worried sick even after making the request. She knew that while you look a bit intimidating, you’re actually quite soft-hearted. She wondered if this role wouldn’t suit you.”
“….”
“That’s from the Red Sword party’s report.”
Juhwan had thought the ‘First Guide’ role was simply about teaching him how to live as an adventurer, but it seemed it also served as a background check.
The Guild didn’t ask adventurers what they did before or what their personalities were like. Unless they were a wanted criminal, they were accepted without question.
Instead, it seemed they assigned a guide to get a general sense of their character.
‘Well, from an organization’s perspective, it would be unsettling to know nothing at all.’
The guide peeked at Juhwan’s expression.
“Are you angry?”
“No.”
“Haha. You really are a bit strange, Mr. Juhwan. Usually, people have one of two reactions to hearing that. They either fly into a rage or they accept it.”
Naturally. There were only two reactions.
“And there are two types of people who accept it. One is the type who doesn’t understand at all. They don’t realize what a report like that implies, so they don’t get angry. Because they don’t know. On the other hand, those who do understand just seem to give up. A feeling of ‘that’s just how the world is.’ It’s a reaction similar to a commoner being unable to do anything against a noble.”
“….”
“But you feel different. How should I put it… It’s like you know it’s necessary. Yes, that’s it. You’re just like a Guild Master.”
That was because after a few years in the workforce, you have bosses above you and subordinates below you. Naturally, by experiencing both positions, you come to understand both sides.
While they were sharing idle talk as the carriage moved, the guide looked into the distance and spoke.
“We’ve arrived. That’s the first subjugation base. It’s where the magic beasts were first discovered.”
Juhwan looked at the village in the distance. It was a small, ramshackle place.
There was a wooden fence, but much of it was broken and collapsed. It looked much like the other villages he had seen.
‘Is that the village of that man and the little boy?’
He recalled the face of the man he’d met on the way to the Guild—the one who had repeatedly said he wouldn’t sell his son. The one who had been weeping, saying his whole family was dead…
Narrowing his eyes, Juhwan spotted human silhouettes within the village. As he focused his gaze, his brow furrowed slightly. He had assumed it was the subjugation team, but it wasn’t.
“Those are soldiers.”
“Huh?”
The guide seemed unaware as well. After staring at the village for a moment, the guide sighed.
“It seems the Border Count is here.”
“A Border Count is a high-ranking noble, isn’t he? For someone like that to move, there seem to be very few soldiers.”
At Juhwan’s remark, the guide smirked.
“The Lord here is a soldier to his core. In the past, the entire Bern territory was a battlefield several times. The border regions are almost always engaged in small skirmishes, so the Lord’s family has been that way for generations. That’s why he doesn’t travel with a long line of attendants like the central nobles. He occasionally tracks down enemy soldiers or magic beasts with just a few men.”
“….”
As the subjugation procession drew closer to the village, the other side seemed to notice them as well.
A man mounted on a large horse rode out from within the village toward them. His hair was white, but he looked remarkably robust.
Behind him, several mounted soldiers followed in a hurry.
“Oh!”
The guide let out a startled sound and leaped off his horse.
The other adventurers also halted their steps and began to murmur.
‘That man must be the Border Count.’
Juhwan stepped down from the carriage. Judging by the people’s reactions, while nobles couldn’t touch adventurers recklessly, the discrimination based on status clearly existed.
The Border Count rode his horse aggressively, reaching Juhwan in an instant before sharply jerking the reins.
The horse let out a high-pitched whinny and skidded to a halt. It was well-trained.
A low voice drifted down from above Juhwan’s head.
“Are you the healer? The one they call a Santa-grade adventurer?”
He had heard that nobles had their own way of doing things, even in their speech, but this Count seemed to be the type to throw all that away and get straight to the point. He sounded like a particularly polite adventurer.
Juhwan answered with his head bowed.
“Yes, my name is Juhwan.”
“You. Do you have any interest in working under me? I will provide the best treatment. I know a Santa-grade from the Guild is something special. I shall compensate you accordingly.”
The answer was already decided.
What Juhwan desired was not wealth and glory, but a simple life spent with his family.
He wanted nothing more than to spend each day the same way, gathering with his family in the evenings to laugh and talk.
Juhwan spoke quietly.
