I Became A Married Man in Another World
Chapter 51
051 Tracking
Leaving the square and heading down an alleyway opposite the inn led to a street that resembled a marketplace.
Behind the stalls selling grains and flour were merchants selling fish and meat. A little further along, salt, spices, and bread were on display.
One peculiar sight was the poultry section. Rather than selling pre-slaughtered birds, the merchants caught and butchered chickens and ducks on the spot whenever a customer arrived.
Eggs were sold in bundles woven from straw, with twelve eggs to a pack.
While some merchants had permanent shops, others operated out of tents, and some simply spread their wares out on the ground.
Riji and Dorothy were ecstatic. Everything seemed to fascinate them; one moment they were over here, and the next they had darted over there, only to come circling back again. Watching them was enough to make one dizzy.
Riji moved from stall to stall, constantly asking prices—how much for this, how much for that. All the while, she kept one hand firmly gripped around the coin purse at her waist.
Dorothy, who until moments ago had been making a fuss about how cool the female adventurers were and how she wanted to be one, had already changed her mind and started declaring that she wanted to be a merchant.
While Riji and Dorothy were incredibly excited, in Juhwan’s eyes, there weren’t actually that many goods or merchants. It felt like an old-fashioned rural market.
Still, to the two of them, it seemed as though there was an overwhelming abundance of things to see.
Juhwan strolled along at a leisurely pace, watching them flit about like honeybees. It had only been a few days since he had arrived in this world naked and fought goblins, yet it felt like the distant past.
‘This is nice.’
Avoiding the animal droppings scattered here and there, Juhwan allowed a faint smile to touch his lips.
Seeing the two of them so busy and happy made him think that perhaps this was what true happiness felt like.
By the time they had finished looking around, it was nearly time for their appointment. Though the bells hadn’t rung yet, the sun was directly overhead.
Riji had stopped several times now in front of a merchant selling stacks of bread. For some reason, she seemed deeply interested in it.
“Riji, it’s time. Let’s head to the guild.”
When Juhwan spoke, Riji nodded, her face full of lingering regret. As she reluctantly turned away, the merchant called out to her.
“Hey there, if you buy two, I’ll throw in an extra one for free.”
Riji let out a small groan and looked back at the bread.
Juhwan shifted his gaze to the bread as well.
A single large, hard-looking loaf cost one copper coin. Since one lina was worth two coppers, he wasn’t yet sure if that was cheap or expensive.
‘But still…’
The loaf was large, so it would probably last a while if they bought it, but it looked so unappetizing that he marveled they could charge money for it at all.
This wasn’t the white, soft bread found on Earth. Made perhaps from barley or oats, it was dark in color and looked so hard that he suspected you could kill someone if you hit them with it. It was a far cry from what he considered bread.
To Juhwan’s eyes, the herring—which cost one lina for twelve fish—seemed much more nutritious and affordable.
“…”
Because Riji still couldn’t take her eyes off the bread, Juhwan glanced at it once more. He wondered if he had misjudged it, but his impression remained the same. No matter how he looked at it, it was a weapon disguised as bread. It looked incredibly hard. He doubted teeth could even make a dent in it.
“Riji, the inn provides food. Why do you want to buy bread?”
When Juhwan asked, Riji replied somewhat sheepishly.
“If we eat it with the bread, we can reduce the amount of food we buy at the inn. And if there are leftovers, we can save them for later.”
“…”
Hm, it seemed Riji was turning into a master of domestic economy all at once. That was a good thing. Juhwan grinned to himself.
He gave her a supportive pat on the shoulder, but Riji had already turned back to stare at the bread again.
Juhwan scooped up Dorothy, who was running around with the horned rabbit on her head.
Dorothy shrieked, “Eek!” and started shouting that a bandit had appeared.
Apparently, Dorothy was a rabbit merchant and Oz was the meat she was selling. Riji was the “bad customer” who didn’t buy anything and just walked past, and Juhwan was the bandit robbing them all.
He found himself in a bit of a predicament as Dorothy screamed, “Save me!” Hey, watch it, or the police will come to arrest your dad.
As they left the market alley and returned to the square, the three female adventurers were still arguing with the men. It seemed the companions of the man who had been knocked down had arrived. Though no weapons were drawn, there was plenty of shouting and shoving.
Juhwan entered the Adventurer’s Guild with Dorothy tucked under his arm, the girl still giggling and screaming about bandits.
“Oh! You’ve arrived. Welcome.”
The guild staff member sitting in the center greeted Juhwan with a bright smile.
As Juhwan stepped further into the office, everyone’s eyes turned toward him.
For some reason, the number of adventurers sitting at the tables seemed to have increased.
With every step he took, he heard whispers of “Magician” and “Magical Beast.” Perhaps they were people who had heard the rumors and come to take a look.
The faint sound of the noon bells drifted through the closed windows. The guild official spoke with a troubled expression.
“I’m sorry, but it looks like you’ll have to wait a little longer. The adventurers who were supposed to mentor you for the next month haven’t arrived yet.”
The official sighed.
“Sigh, honestly. I finally found the perfect newcomers, and then those people… It’s not easy to find such a good match. Please wait just a bit longer. That’s just how adventurers are. Many of them don’t keep track of time. They’re usually better than this, though. They’re normally quite punctual, but for some reason today… Sigh, please wait. If they’re much later, I’ll try to find someone else.”
Dorothy immediately began exploring the guild. She and Oz were cautiously poking around the corners, whispering to each other.
Perhaps they were still playing bandits. Occasionally, she would spot Juhwan and hurry into hiding.
Keeping an eye on the child, Juhwan asked the official, “Is there something wrong with the adventurers assigned to us? You make it sound that way.”
The official waved his hands in slight embarrassment.
“No, no. It’s not that the party is bad. Quite the opposite, actually. I’ve put them in charge of mentoring a few times, and every time, they end up getting stuck with absolute bastards. Well, in a way, it’s unavoidable.”
The official let out a long sigh.
“Since you’re a family unit, I thought you’d be a good fit for them. That party is composed entirely of women.”
The official stole a glance at Juhwan.
“I’m sorry to say this, but adventurers can be quite rough. Yes, there are many crude people. And I don’t just mean they like to fight; they’re often like that toward women too.”
This time, the official glanced at Riji and lowered his voice. He whispered so only Juhwan could hear.
“They try to force themselves on them at night.”
“Excuse me?”
When Juhwan didn’t seem to understand, the official clarified.
“I mean they assault women at night. Among adventurers, there are many who have done everything short of murder. And there are quite a few murderers, too. Even if they aren’t that extreme, there are plenty of guys who think it’s a game to jump a woman in the middle of the night.”
The official shook his head.
“Those types don’t care if the target is a fellow adventurer. In fact, they think it’s better that way. Disputes between adventurers aren’t usually judged by common law. No one cares if you’re crippled or killed. Of course, if things get too extreme, the Guild intervenes, but…”
“…Is that a danger for all female adventurers?”
At Juhwan’s question, the official shrugged.
“Well, yes. That’s why you rarely see women traveling alone. It’s dangerous. Adventurers rarely work solo anyway. They usually form parties.”
The official shrugged again and continued.
“It’s a dangerous life. There are few professions where people die as often as adventurers do.”
Just then, the door swung open and someone walked in. Turning his head, Juhwan saw three women hurrying inside.
“Oh.”
Riji gasped in surprise.
The women entering the guild were the same ones who had been beating the man in the square earlier.
They looked quite disheveled, as if they had been in a prolonged struggle. One had a gash near her eye that was bleeding steadily, and another had a bloody nose. The third woman had almost no marks on her face, but she seemed to be cradling a painful hand.
‘Ah, her.’
The last woman was the one who had been pummeling the man with her fists. Most people might not realize it, but if you hit someone in the forehead or head the wrong way, the other person isn’t the only one who gets hurt. The person punching can easily injure their hand.
‘I wonder if the guy getting beaten was one of those who tried something at night.’
If so, he deserved whatever he got.
The guild official spoke as if relieved to see the women.
“Oh, you’re here. This is Red Sword, the party that will be mentoring you for the next month. They are a very rare all-female party.”
Standing in the corner, Dorothy’s eyes went wide.
“It’s the ladies who were hitting that man!”
“…”
Amidst the awkward atmosphere, the guild official spoke up in a cheerful voice.
“Now, now, time is wasting, so let’s get things moving. First, let’s do introductions. Over here is the 3rd Grade party, Dorothy and Oz. And that over there is the 5th Grade party, Red Sword.”
The adventurers sitting at the tables snickered. The woman from Red Sword who had injured her hand bit her lip.
Great. The atmosphere is terrible right from the start.
Most magicians participate in war not by fighting physically, but by imbuing objects with power.
Fire magicians apply their strength to fire arrows launched at enemies, while those who command the wind use their power on arrows or spears to increase their speed and lethality.
Water magicians might not exert great power on their own, but if a river is dammed to create a small stream, several of them can work together to control it.
When magicians of various attributes combine their powers, there is even more they can achieve, and in large-scale wars, they can accomplish even greater feats.
In war, magicians play a vital role in securing victory over the enemy.
Magicians are precious in any territory, but they are even more so here in Bern, which shares a border with an enemy nation.
However, because of the frequent warfare, Bern was also the place where magicians died most often.
For that reason, the Bern Border Count was desperate to secure magicians.
Among them, what the Border Count sought most fervently were healing magicians.
While treating wounds on the battlefield was important, simply restoring the stamina of other magicians was a significant help. Most healing magicians were used for that purpose.
In particular, the current lord, the Bern Border Count, was a wind magician. He personally took to the battlefield to fight. Because of this, the Border Count needed healing magicians more than anyone.
“…”
The Advisor clicked his tongue as he looked at the shabby village in the distance. The fences had been completely burned away.
Known as a goblin village, this place had been raided by goblins several times before. Looking at its current state, it seemed it had happened again.
The Advisor urged his horse faster. The soldiers following him picked up their pace accordingly.
It had been a few days since a letter from a city informant had arrived at the Border Count’s estate. It was a report that a healing magician had been discovered. The letter stated that the magician seemed powerful, but there was no telling if that was true.
The Advisor had rushed here to verify the claim. If the magician truly was powerful, he intended to take them immediately. His mission was to bring them back by any means necessary—by hiring them with gold if possible, or by other methods if not.
‘What on earth happened here?’
As he entered the village, the Advisor grimaced at the stench wafting from all directions. The area was littered with the corpses of goblins and villagers.
“I need to know what happened. This wasn’t just a goblin raid. Find out who killed these goblins. And bring me the man who calls himself the Village Chief.”
Upon his command, the soldiers gave a sharp shout and scattered in all directions.
A short while later, the soldiers dragged several villagers forward. They said the man at the front was the Village Chief.
“They say they discovered a goblin settlement and called for adventurers.”
As a soldier threatened a villager with a sword, the Village Chief and the kneeling people behind him began to answer. However, the story differed from what he knew.
“Wait! Wasn’t that Forester a healing magician?”
“Huh? No. That wasn’t it. I… I don’t really know.”
It was the villagers who answered. Aside from the Village Chief, the other villagers only knew the Forester as a magician who used fire. The Village Chief was simply trembling.
As the Advisor turned his gaze toward him, the soldiers dragged the Chief forward and threw him to the ground.
“Didn’t you clearly tell the informant that he was a healing magician?”
“Th-th-that is, actually… y-yes, that’s right.”
“Then how did he become a fire magician?”
“I d-don’t know. I saw wounds healing instantly and assumed he was a healing magician.”
“…”
He might be hiding something. The Advisor ordered the soldiers to round up all the villagers.
He interrogated the Village Chief and the villagers further, but they only repeated the same words. It seemed they were telling the truth.
‘Could he be a magician with two attributes?’
Such magicians were incredibly rare.
The Advisor pressed the Village Chief and the villagers for details on what the magician looked like, where he went, and what kind of person he was.
To the people who were so terrified they could barely speak, he promised that they would face no punishment if they told the truth. Only then did the villagers begin to speak up one by one.
He was tall. He was as big as a mountain. He had a fierce face. After several such descriptions, one person spoke up cautiously.
“…And, well, milord, that Forester’s face was a bit different. How should I put it? The features themselves were a bit different. A bit flat, perhaps? Not much depth to them.”
“…”
Listening quietly to the villagers’ stories, the Advisor tilted his head.
‘A flat face? I heard the Yongsa from the enemy nation looked like that.’
The thirty or so people were mostly kneeling on the ground with their heads bowed.
“Do you know the man’s name?”
“He called himself Juhwan.”
“Juhwan.”
The Advisor signaled to the soldiers. They dragged the Village Chief forward.
“This man attempted to sell information about a magician to a noble of another territory. An informant reported him. Selling or concealing a magician from another territory is a capital offense.”
“Eeeek! P-please forgive me! I didn’t know. I had no idea!”
The Village Chief wailed and clung to the Advisor’s leg. The Advisor kicked him away, but the Chief clung on, refusing to let go. The soldiers pried him off.
“This man shall be executed here and now. If any of you speak of the magician to others or try to sell information, you will face the same punishment. Do you understand!”
As the Village Chief wailed, the villagers trembled and bowed their heads low.
At the Advisor’s nod, a soldier plunged a sword deep into the Village Chief’s chest.
After ordering one soldier to report this to his superiors, the Advisor decided to head toward the nearby villages.
There were several villages in the vicinity. If the man was traveling with a family, they would have had to stop somewhere to replenish their food supplies.
‘I hope I can find a trail.’
The Advisor muttered to himself as he spurred his horse forward.
